Pkg xen devel - May 2025 - Bug#1105222: Boot loop on Debian 12.10.0 once installing XEN under Nested Virutalization on INTEL CPUs

Package: xen-hypervisor-4.17-amd64
Version: 4.17.5

Once XEN is installed on a Debian 12 Virtual Machine with Nested Virtualization
enabled this will create a boot loop.

Here is a transcript:


  *
install Debian 12 under VMWare Workstation 17.6.3 (or another Hypervisor)
     *
Host OS : Windows 10 (or Linux)
     *
Host CPU : Intel i7 10th gen or another Intel CPU with Nested Virtualization
support
     *
iso : debian-12.10.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso
     *
VM config CPU : Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI enabled
  *
install XEN on Debian 12 -
     *
$ apt install xen-hypervisor
     *
$ reboot


  *
boot loop on the new added GRUD entries
     *
Debian GNU/Linux, with Xen Hypersior => boot loop
     *
Advanced options for Bebian GNU/Linux (with Xen Hypervisor) => boot loop

Analysis:


  *
Regression introduced by
https://xenbits.xen.org/gitweb/?p=xen.git;a=commit;h=6bdb965178bbb3fc50cd4418d4770a7789956e2c


  *
Regression fixed by
https://xenbits.xen.org/gitweb/?p=xen.git;a=commit;h=dd05d265b8abda4cc7206b29cd71b77fb46658bf

I suggest that this regression fix introduced in XEN 4.17.3 should be included
in the upcoming XEN 4.17.6 or if it is not possible a custom patch by Debian.

Reference :

  *
https://wiki.debian.org/Xen/InstallBootConfig
  *
https://xenbits.xen.org/gitweb/?p=xen.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/stable-4.17

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Note, I am not a maintainer of the Debian Xen packages.  I am simply
playing the role of concerned user noticing this bug report.


On Tue, May 13, 2025 at 05:39:11PM +0000, Olivier Hault (Level IT)
wrote:
> Package: xen-hypervisor-4.17-amd64
> Version: 4.17.5
> 
> Once XEN is installed on a Debian 12 Virtual Machine with Nested
Virtualization enabled this will create a boot loop.
> 
> Here is a transcript:
> 
> 
>   *
> install Debian 12 under VMWare Workstation 17.6.3 (or another Hypervisor)
>      *
> Host OS : Windows 10 (or Linux)
>      *
> Host CPU : Intel i7 10th gen or another Intel CPU with Nested
Virtualization support
>      *
> iso : debian-12.10.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso
>      *
> VM config CPU : Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI enabled
>   *
> install XEN on Debian 12 -
>      *
> $ apt install xen-hypervisor
>      *
> $ reboot
> 
> 
>   *
> boot loop on the new added GRUD entries
>      *
> Debian GNU/Linux, with Xen Hypersior => boot loop
>      *
> Advanced options for Bebian GNU/Linux (with Xen Hypervisor) => boot loop
I'm discouraged by another bug marked "critical" on the Xen
packages not
getting attention for 3 months.

Issue is "critical" has 3 specific criteria:
https://www.debian.org/Bugs/Developer#severities
critical:
        makes unrelated software on the system (or the whole system)
break, or causes serious data loss, or introduces a security hole on
systems where you install the package.

As long as "Debian GNU/Linux" entries in the GRUB menu still work,
this
doesn't seem to meet "(or the whole system)".  This isn't
close to either
of the other two conditions.  Could you justify why you think this
particular bug qualifies as "critical"?


The maintainers will need to decide whether it is reasonable to include
the fix patch with the next Debian update.  I suspect the next Debian
release may be quicker for fixing this bug without needing to rebuild
for yourself.


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