Re: [PATCH] docs/about: Change notes on x86 machine type deprecation into a general one

[Philippe Mathieu-Daudé]

On 16/1/25 07:46, Thomas Huth wrote:
> We now have a general note about versioned machine types getting
> deprecated and removed at the beginning of the deprecated.rst file,
> so we should also have a general note about this in removed-features.rst
> (which will also apply to versioned non-x86 machine types) instead of
> listing individual old machine types in the document.
>
> Signed-off-by: Thomas Huth <thuth@redhat.com>
> ---
>   docs/about/deprecated.rst       |  7 -------
>   docs/about/removed-features.rst | 11 +++++------
>   2 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/docs/about/deprecated.rst b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
> index 4a3c302962..7b42d6eecc 100644
> --- a/docs/about/deprecated.rst
> +++ b/docs/about/deprecated.rst
> @@ -236,13 +236,6 @@ deprecated; use the new name ``dtb-randomness`` instead. 
> The new name
>   better reflects the way this property affects all random data within
>   the device tree blob, not just the ``kaslr-seed`` node.
>   
> -``pc-i440fx-2.4`` up to ``pc-i440fx-2.12`` (since 9.1)
> -''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
> -
> -These old machine types are quite neglected nowadays and thus might have
> -various pitfalls with regards to live migration. Use a newer machine type
> -instead.
> -
>   PPC 405 ``ref405ep`` machine (since 9.1)
>   ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
>   
> diff --git a/docs/about/removed-features.rst b/docs/about/removed-features.rst
> index c6616ce05e..156c0c253c 100644
> --- a/docs/about/removed-features.rst
> +++ b/docs/about/removed-features.rst
> @@ -972,6 +972,11 @@ from Linux in 2021, and is not supported anymore by QEMU 
> either.
>   System emulator machines
>   ------------------------
>   
> +Note: Versioned machine types that have been introduced in a QEMU version
> +that has initially been released more than 6 years before are considered
> +obsolete and will be removed without further notice in this document.
> +Please use newer machine types instead.

This is an improvement. I still wonder if we shouldn't list them removed
machines here, to help old users.

  Removed in 4.0:
    - pc-0.10
    - ...
  Removed in 9.0:
    - pc-i440fx-2.3
  Remove in 10.0:
    - pc-i440fx-2.4
    - pc-i440fx-2.5
    - pc-i440fx-2.6
    - pc-q35-2.4
    - pc-q35-2.5
    - pc-q35-2.6
    - ARM virt-2.6
    ...

?

> +
>   ``s390-virtio`` (removed in 2.6)
>   ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
>   
> @@ -1006,12 +1011,6 @@ mips ``fulong2e`` machine alias (removed in 6.0)
>   
>   This machine has been renamed ``fuloong2e``.
>   
> -``pc-0.10`` up to ``pc-i440fx-2.3`` (removed in 4.0 up to 9.0)
> -''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
> -
> -These machine types were very old and likely could not be used for live
> -migration from old QEMU versions anymore. Use a newer machine type instead.
> -
>   Raspberry Pi ``raspi2`` and ``raspi3`` machines (removed in 6.2)
>   ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
>