QEMU Device (qdev) API Reference

The QEMU Device API

All modern devices should represented as a derived QOM class of TYPE_DEVICE. The device API introduces the additional methods of realize and unrealize to represent additional stages in a device objects life cycle.

Realization

Devices are constructed in two stages:

object instantiation via object_initialize() and
device realization via the DeviceState.realized property

The former may not fail (and must not abort or exit, since it is called during device introspection already), and the latter may return error information to the caller and must be re-entrant. Trivial field initializations should go into TypeInfo.instance_init. Operations depending on props static properties should go into realize. After successful realization, setting static properties will fail.

As an interim step, the DeviceState.realized property can also be set with qdev_realize(). In the future, devices will propagate this state change to their children and along busses they expose. The point in time will be deferred to machine creation, so that values set in realize will not be introspectable beforehand. Therefore devices must not create children during realize; they should initialize them via object_initialize() in their own TypeInfo.instance_init and forward the realization events appropriately.

Any type may override the realize and/or unrealize callbacks but needs to call the parent type’s implementation if keeping their functionality is desired. Refer to QOM documentation for further discussion and examples.

Note

Since TYPE_DEVICE doesn’t implement realize and unrealize, types derived directly from it need not call their parent’s realize and unrealize. For other types consult the documentation and implementation of the respective parent types.

Hiding a device

To hide a device, a DeviceListener function hide_device() needs to be registered. It can be used to defer adding a device and therefore hide it from the guest. The handler registering to this DeviceListener can save the QOpts passed to it for re-using it later. It must return if it wants the device to be hidden or visible. When the handler function decides the device shall be visible it will be added with qdev_device_add() and realized as any other device. Otherwise qdev_device_add() will return early without adding the device. The guest will not see a “hidden” device until it was marked visible and qdev_device_add called again.

struct DeviceClass: The base class for all devices.

Definition

struct DeviceClass {
  unsigned long categories[BITS_TO_LONGS(DEVICE_CATEGORY_MAX)];
  const char *fw_name;
  const char *desc;
  Property *props_;
  bool user_creatable;
  bool hotpluggable;
  DeviceReset legacy_reset;
  DeviceRealize realize;
  DeviceUnrealize unrealize;
  const VMStateDescription *vmsd;
  const char *bus_type;
};

Members

categories

device categories device belongs to

fw_name

name used to identify device to firmware interfaces

desc

human readable description of device

props_

properties associated with device, should only be assigned by using device_class_set_props(). The underscore ensures a compile-time error if someone attempts to assign dc->props directly.

user_creatable

Can user instantiate with -device / device_add?

All devices should support instantiation with device_add, and this flag should not exist. But we’re not there, yet. Some devices fail to instantiate with cryptic error messages. Others instantiate, but don’t work. Exposing users to such behavior would be cruel; clearing this flag will protect them. It should never be cleared without a comment explaining why it is cleared.

TODO remove once we’re there

hotpluggable

indicates if DeviceClass is hotpluggable, available as readonly “hotpluggable” property of DeviceState instance

legacy_reset

deprecated device reset method pointer

Modern code should use the ResettableClass interface to implement a multi-phase reset.

TODO: remove once every reset callback is unused

realize

Callback function invoked when the DeviceState:realized property is changed to true.

unrealize

Callback function invoked when the DeviceState:realized property is changed to false.

vmsd

device state serialisation description for migration/save/restore

bus_type

bus type private: to qdev / bus.

struct DeviceState: common device state, accessed with qdev helpers

Definition

struct DeviceState {
  char *id;
  char *canonical_path;
  bool realized;
  bool pending_deleted_event;
  int64_t pending_deleted_expires_ms;
  QDict *opts;
  int hotplugged;
  bool allow_unplug_during_migration;
  BusState *parent_bus;
  NamedGPIOListHead gpios;
  NamedClockListHead clocks;
  BusStateHead child_bus;
  int num_child_bus;
  int instance_id_alias;
  int alias_required_for_version;
  ResettableState reset;
  GSList *unplug_blockers;
  MemReentrancyGuard mem_reentrancy_guard;
};

Members

id

global device id

canonical_path

canonical path of realized device in the QOM tree

realized

has device been realized?

pending_deleted_event

track pending deletion events during unplug

pending_deleted_expires_ms

optional timeout for deletion events

opts

QDict of options for the device

hotplugged

was device added after PHASE_MACHINE_READY?

allow_unplug_during_migration

can device be unplugged during migration

parent_bus

bus this device belongs to

gpios

QLIST of named GPIOs the device provides.

clocks

QLIST of named clocks the device provides.

child_bus

QLIST of child buses

num_child_bus

number of child_bus entries

instance_id_alias

device alias for handling legacy migration setups

alias_required_for_version

indicates instance_id_alias is needed for migration

reset

ResettableState for the device; handled by Resettable interface.

unplug_blockers

list of reasons to block unplugging of device

mem_reentrancy_guard

Is the device currently in mmio/pio/dma?

Used to prevent re-entrancy confusing things.

Description

This structure should not be accessed directly. We declare it here so that it can be embedded in individual device state structures.

struct BusState

Definition

struct BusState {
  DeviceState *parent;
  char *name;
  HotplugHandler *hotplug_handler;
  int max_index;
  bool realized;
  bool full;
  int num_children;
  BusChildHead children;
  BusStateEntry sibling;
  ResettableState reset;
};

Members

parent: parent Device
name: name of bus
hotplug_handler: link to a hotplug handler associated with bus.
max_index: max number of child buses
realized: is the bus itself realized?
full: is the bus full?
num_children: current number of child buses
children: an RCU protected QTAILQ, thus readers must use RCU to access it, and writers must hold the big qemu lock
sibling: next bus
reset: ResettableState for the bus; handled by Resettable interface.

type GlobalProperty: a global property type

Description

An error is fatal for non-hotplugged devices, when the global is applied.

DeviceState *qdev_new(const char *name): Create a device on the heap

Parameters

const char *name: device type to create (we assert() that this type exists)

Description

This only allocates the memory and initializes the device state structure, ready for the caller to set properties if they wish. The device still needs to be realized.

Return

a derived DeviceState object with a reference count of 1.

DeviceState *qdev_try_new(const char *name): Try to create a device on the heap

Parameters

const char *name: device type to create

Description

This is like qdev_new(), except it returns NULL when type name does not exist, rather than asserting.

Return

a derived DeviceState object with a reference count of 1 or NULL if type name does not exist.

bool qdev_is_realized(DeviceState *dev): check if device is realized

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: The device to check.

Context

May be called outside big qemu lock.

Return

true if the device has been fully constructed, false otherwise.

bool qdev_realize(DeviceState *dev, BusState *bus, Error **errp): Realize dev.

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: device to realize
BusState *bus: bus to plug it into (may be NULL)
Error **errp: pointer to error object

Description

“Realize” the device, i.e. perform the second phase of device initialization. dev must not be plugged into a bus already. If bus, plug dev into bus. This takes a reference to dev. If dev has no QOM parent, make one up, taking another reference.

If you created dev using qdev_new(), you probably want to use qdev_realize_and_unref() instead.

Return

true on success, else false setting errp with error

bool qdev_realize_and_unref(DeviceState *dev, BusState *bus, Error **errp): Realize dev and drop a reference

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: device to realize
BusState *bus: bus to plug it into (may be NULL)
Error **errp: pointer to error object

Description

Realize dev and drop a reference. This is like qdev_realize(), except the caller must hold a (private) reference, which is dropped on return regardless of success or failure. Intended use:

dev = qdev_new();
[...]
qdev_realize_and_unref(dev, bus, errp);

Now dev can go away without further ado.

If you are embedding the device into some other QOM device and initialized it via some variant on object_initialize_child() then do not use this function, because that family of functions arrange for the only reference to the child device to be held by the parent via the child<> property, and so the reference-count-drop done here would be incorrect. For that use case you want qdev_realize().

Return

true on success, else false setting errp with error

void qdev_unrealize(DeviceState *dev): Unrealize a device

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: device to unrealize

Description

This function will “unrealize” a device, which is the first phase of correctly destroying a device that has been realized. It will:

unrealize any child buses by calling qbus_unrealize() (this will recursively unrealize any devices on those buses)

call the unrealize method of dev

The device can then be freed by causing its reference count to go to zero.

Warning: most devices in QEMU do not expect to be unrealized. Only devices which are hot-unpluggable should be unrealized (as part of the unplugging process); all other devices are expected to last for the life of the simulation and should not be unrealized and freed.

HotplugHandler *qdev_get_hotplug_handler(DeviceState *dev): Get handler responsible for device wiring

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: the device we want the HOTPLUG_HANDLER for.

Note

in case dev has a parent bus, it will be returned as handler unless machine handler overrides it.

Return

pointer to object that implements TYPE_HOTPLUG_HANDLER interface or NULL if there aren’t any.

void qdev_add_unplug_blocker(DeviceState *dev, Error *reason): Add an unplug blocker to a device

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device to be blocked from unplug
Error *reason: Reason for blocking

void qdev_del_unplug_blocker(DeviceState *dev, Error *reason): Remove an unplug blocker from a device

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device to be unblocked
Error *reason: Pointer to the Error used with qdev_add_unplug_blocker. Used as a handle to lookup the blocker for deletion.

bool qdev_unplug_blocked(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp): Confirm if a device is blocked from unplug

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device to be tested
Error **errp: The reasons why the device is blocked, if any

Return

true (also setting errp) if device is blocked from unplug, false otherwise

type GpioPolarity: Polarity of a GPIO line

Description

GPIO lines use either positive (active-high) logic, or negative (active-low) logic.

In active-high logic (GPIO_POLARITY_ACTIVE_HIGH), a pin is active when the voltage on the pin is high (relative to ground); whereas in active-low logic (GPIO_POLARITY_ACTIVE_LOW), a pin is active when the voltage on the pin is low (or grounded).

qemu_irq qdev_get_gpio_in(DeviceState *dev, int n): Get one of a device’s anonymous input GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device whose GPIO we want
int n: Number of the anonymous GPIO line (which must be in range)

Description

Returns the qemu_irq corresponding to an anonymous input GPIO line (which the device has set up with qdev_init_gpio_in()). The index n of the GPIO line must be valid (i.e. be at least 0 and less than the total number of anonymous input GPIOs the device has); this function will assert() if passed an invalid index.

This function is intended to be used by board code or SoC “container” device models to wire up the GPIO lines; usually the return value will be passed to qdev_connect_gpio_out() or a similar function to connect another device’s output GPIO line to this input.

For named input GPIO lines, use qdev_get_gpio_in_named().

Return

qemu_irq corresponding to anonymous input GPIO line

qemu_irq qdev_get_gpio_in_named(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, int n): Get one of a device’s named input GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device whose GPIO we want
const char *name: Name of the input GPIO array
int n: Number of the GPIO line in that array (which must be in range)

Description

Returns the qemu_irq corresponding to a single input GPIO line in a named array of input GPIO lines on a device (which the device has set up with qdev_init_gpio_in_named()). The name string must correspond to an input GPIO array which exists on the device, and the index n of the GPIO line must be valid (i.e. be at least 0 and less than the total number of input GPIOs in that array); this function will assert() if passed an invalid name or index.

For anonymous input GPIO lines, use qdev_get_gpio_in().

Return

qemu_irq corresponding to named input GPIO line

void qdev_connect_gpio_out(DeviceState *dev, int n, qemu_irq pin): Connect one of a device’s anonymous output GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device whose GPIO to connect
int n: Number of the anonymous output GPIO line (which must be in range)
qemu_irq pin: qemu_irq to connect the output line to

Description

This function connects an anonymous output GPIO line on a device up to an arbitrary qemu_irq, so that when the device asserts that output GPIO line, the qemu_irq’s callback is invoked. The index n of the GPIO line must be valid (i.e. be at least 0 and less than the total number of anonymous output GPIOs the device has created with qdev_init_gpio_out()); otherwise this function will assert().

Outbound GPIO lines can be connected to any qemu_irq, but the common case is connecting them to another device’s inbound GPIO line, using the qemu_irq returned by qdev_get_gpio_in() or qdev_get_gpio_in_named().

It is not valid to try to connect one outbound GPIO to multiple qemu_irqs at once, or to connect multiple outbound GPIOs to the same qemu_irq. (Warning: there is no assertion or other guard to catch this error: the model will just not do the right thing.) Instead, for fan-out you can use the TYPE_SPLIT_IRQ device: connect a device’s outbound GPIO to the splitter’s input, and connect each of the splitter’s outputs to a different device. For fan-in you can use the TYPE_OR_IRQ device, which is a model of a logical OR gate with multiple inputs and one output.

For named output GPIO lines, use qdev_connect_gpio_out_named().

void qdev_connect_gpio_out_named(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, int n, qemu_irq input_pin): Connect one of a device’s named output GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device whose GPIO to connect
const char *name: Name of the output GPIO array
int n: Number of the output GPIO line within that array (which must be in range)
qemu_irq input_pin: qemu_irq to connect the output line to

Description

This function connects a single GPIO output in a named array of output GPIO lines on a device up to an arbitrary qemu_irq, so that when the device asserts that output GPIO line, the qemu_irq’s callback is invoked. The name string must correspond to an output GPIO array which exists on the device, and the index n of the GPIO line must be valid (i.e. be at least 0 and less than the total number of output GPIOs in that array); this function will assert() if passed an invalid name or index.

It is not valid to try to connect one outbound GPIO to multiple qemu_irqs at once, or to connect multiple outbound GPIOs to the same qemu_irq; see qdev_connect_gpio_out() for details.

For anonymous output GPIO lines, use qdev_connect_gpio_out().

qemu_irq qdev_get_gpio_out_connector(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, int n): Get the qemu_irq connected to an output GPIO

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device whose output GPIO we are interested in
const char *name: Name of the output GPIO array
int n: Number of the output GPIO line within that array

Description

Returns whatever qemu_irq is currently connected to the specified output GPIO line of dev. This will be NULL if the output GPIO line has never been wired up to the anything. Note that the qemu_irq returned does not belong to dev – it will be the input GPIO or IRQ of whichever device the board code has connected up to dev’s output GPIO.

You probably don’t need to use this function – it is used only by the platform-bus subsystem.

Return

qemu_irq associated with GPIO or NULL if un-wired.

qemu_irq qdev_intercept_gpio_out(DeviceState *dev, qemu_irq icpt, const char *name, int n): Intercept an existing GPIO connection

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device to intercept the outbound GPIO line from
qemu_irq icpt: New qemu_irq to connect instead
const char *name: Name of the output GPIO array
int n: Number of the GPIO line in the array

Description

Note

This function is provided only for use by the qtest testing framework and is not suitable for use in non-testing parts of QEMU.

This function breaks an existing connection of an outbound GPIO line from dev, and replaces it with the new qemu_irq icpt, as if qdev_connect_gpio_out_named(dev, icpt, name, n) had been called. The previously connected qemu_irq is returned, so it can be restored by a second call to qdev_intercept_gpio_out() if desired.

Return

old disconnected qemu_irq if one existed

void qdev_init_gpio_in(DeviceState *dev, qemu_irq_handler handler, int n): create an array of anonymous input GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device to create input GPIOs for
qemu_irq_handler handler: Function to call when GPIO line value is set
int n: Number of GPIO lines to create

Description

Devices should use functions in the qdev_init_gpio_in* family in their instance_init or realize methods to create any input GPIO lines they need. There is no functional difference between anonymous and named GPIO lines. Stylistically, named GPIOs are preferable (easier to understand at callsites) unless a device has exactly one uniform kind of GPIO input whose purpose is obvious. Note that input GPIO lines can serve as ‘sinks’ for IRQ lines.

See qdev_get_gpio_in() for how code that uses such a device can get hold of an input GPIO line to manipulate it.

void qdev_init_gpio_out(DeviceState *dev, qemu_irq *pins, int n): create an array of anonymous output GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device to create output GPIOs for
qemu_irq *pins: Pointer to qemu_irq or qemu_irq array for the GPIO lines
int n: Number of GPIO lines to create

Description

Devices should use functions in the qdev_init_gpio_out* family in their instance_init or realize methods to create any output GPIO lines they need. There is no functional difference between anonymous and named GPIO lines. Stylistically, named GPIOs are preferable (easier to understand at callsites) unless a device has exactly one uniform kind of GPIO output whose purpose is obvious.

The pins argument should be a pointer to either a “qemu_irq” (if n == 1) or a “qemu_irq []” array (if n > 1) in the device’s state structure. The device implementation can then raise and lower the GPIO line by calling qemu_set_irq(). (If anything is connected to the other end of the GPIO this will cause the handler function for that input GPIO to be called.)

See qdev_connect_gpio_out() for how code that uses such a device can connect to one of its output GPIO lines.

There is no need to release the pins allocated array because it will be automatically released when dev calls its instance_finalize() handler.

void qdev_init_gpio_out_named(DeviceState *dev, qemu_irq *pins, const char *name, int n): create an array of named output GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device to create output GPIOs for
qemu_irq *pins: Pointer to qemu_irq or qemu_irq array for the GPIO lines
const char *name: Name to give this array of GPIO lines
int n: Number of GPIO lines to create in this array

Description

Like qdev_init_gpio_out(), but creates an array of GPIO output lines with a name. Code using the device can then connect these GPIO lines using qdev_connect_gpio_out_named().

void qdev_init_gpio_in_named_with_opaque(DeviceState *dev, qemu_irq_handler handler, void *opaque, const char *name, int n): create an array of input GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device to create input GPIOs for
qemu_irq_handler handler: Function to call when GPIO line value is set
void *opaque: Opaque data pointer to pass to handler
const char *name: Name of the GPIO input (must be unique for this device)
int n: Number of GPIO lines in this input set

void qdev_init_gpio_in_named(DeviceState *dev, qemu_irq_handler handler, const char *name, int n): create an array of input GPIO lines

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: device to add array to
qemu_irq_handler handler: a &typedef qemu_irq_handler function to call when GPIO is set
const char *name: Name of the GPIO input (must be unique for this device)
int n: Number of GPIO lines in this input set

Description

Like qdev_init_gpio_in_named_with_opaque(), but the opaque pointer passed to the handler is dev (which is the most commonly desired behaviour).

void qdev_pass_gpios(DeviceState *dev, DeviceState *container, const char *name): create GPIO lines on container which pass through to device

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: Device which has GPIO lines
DeviceState *container: Container device which needs to expose them
const char *name: Name of GPIO array to pass through (NULL for the anonymous GPIO array)

Description

In QEMU, complicated devices like SoCs are often modelled with a “container” QOM device which itself contains other QOM devices and which wires them up appropriately. This function allows the container to create GPIO arrays on itself which simply pass through to a GPIO array of one of its internal devices.

If dev has both input and output GPIOs named name then both will be passed through. It is not possible to pass a subset of the array with this function.

To users of the container device, the GPIO array created on container behaves exactly like any other.

void device_cold_reset(DeviceState *dev): perform a recursive cold reset on a device

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: device to reset.

Description

Reset device dev and perform a recursive processing using the resettable interface. It triggers a RESET_TYPE_COLD.

void bus_cold_reset(BusState *bus): perform a recursive cold reset on a bus

Parameters

BusState *bus: bus to reset

Description

Reset bus bus and perform a recursive processing using the resettable interface. It triggers a RESET_TYPE_COLD.

bool device_is_in_reset(DeviceState *dev): check device reset state

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: device to check

Return

true if the device dev is currently being reset.

bool bus_is_in_reset(BusState *bus): check bus reset state

Parameters

BusState *bus: bus to check

Return

true if the bus bus is currently being reset.

void device_class_set_props(DeviceClass *dc, Property *props): add a set of properties to an device

Parameters

DeviceClass *dc: the parent DeviceClass all devices inherit
Property *props: an array of properties, terminate by DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST()

Description

This will add a set of properties to the object. It will fault if you attempt to add an existing property defined by a parent class. To modify an inherited property you need to use????

void device_class_set_parent_realize(DeviceClass *dc, DeviceRealize dev_realize, DeviceRealize *parent_realize): set up for chaining realize fns

Parameters

DeviceClass *dc: The device class
DeviceRealize dev_realize: the device realize function
DeviceRealize *parent_realize: somewhere to save the parents realize function

Description

This is intended to be used when the new realize function will eventually call its parent realization function during creation. This requires storing the function call somewhere (usually in the instance structure) so you can eventually call dc->parent_realize(dev, errp)

void device_class_set_legacy_reset(DeviceClass *dc, DeviceReset dev_reset): set the DeviceClass::reset method

Parameters

DeviceClass *dc: The device class
DeviceReset dev_reset: the reset function

Description

This function sets the DeviceClass::reset method. This is widely used in existing code, but new code should prefer to use the Resettable API as documented in docs/devel/reset.rst. In addition, devices which need to chain to their parent class’s reset methods or which need to be subclassed must use Resettable.

void device_class_set_parent_unrealize(DeviceClass *dc, DeviceUnrealize dev_unrealize, DeviceUnrealize *parent_unrealize): set up for chaining unrealize fns

Parameters

DeviceClass *dc: The device class
DeviceUnrealize dev_unrealize: the device realize function
DeviceUnrealize *parent_unrealize: somewhere to save the parents unrealize function

Description

This is intended to be used when the new unrealize function will eventually call its parent unrealization function during the unrealize phase. This requires storing the function call somewhere (usually in the instance structure) so you can eventually call dc->parent_unrealize(dev);

char *qdev_get_human_name(DeviceState *dev): Return a human-readable name for a device

Parameters

DeviceState *dev: The device. Must be a valid and non-NULL pointer.

Description

Note

This function is intended for user friendly error messages.

Use g_free() to free it.

Return

A newly allocated string containing the device id if not null, else the object canonical path.

void qbus_mark_full(BusState *bus): Mark this bus as full, so no more devices can be attached

Parameters

BusState *bus: Bus to mark as full

Description

By default, QEMU will allow devices to be plugged into a bus up to the bus class’s device count limit. Calling this function marks a particular bus as full, so that no more devices can be plugged into it. In particular this means that the bus will not be considered as a candidate for plugging in devices created by the user on the commandline or via the monitor. If a machine has multiple buses of a given type, such as I2C, where some of those buses in the real hardware are used only for internal devices and some are exposed via expansion ports, you can use this function to mark the internal-only buses as full after you have created all their internal devices. Then user created devices will appear on the expansion-port bus where guest software expects them.

bool qdev_should_hide_device(const QDict *opts, bool from_json, Error **errp): check if device should be hidden

Parameters

const QDict *opts: options QDict
bool from_json: true if opts entries are typed, false for all strings
Error **errp: pointer to error object

Description

When a device is added via qdev_device_add() this will be called.

Return

if the device should be added now or not.