Pkg xen devel - Dec 2025 - Bug#1122188: xen-hypervisor-4.20-amd64: USB Passthrough to qemu HVM not pussible

Package: src:xen
Version: 4.20.2+7-g1badcf5035-0+deb13u1
Severity: normal
X-Debbugs-Cc: submit at bugs.debian.org, volkerg at arcor.de




-- System Information:
Debian Release: 13.2
  APT prefers stable-updates
  APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable-security'),
(500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 6.12.57+deb13-amd64 (SMP w/12 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8),
LANGUAGE=en_US:en
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
LSM: AppArmor: enabled

xen-hypervisor-4.20-amd64 depends on no packages.

Versions of packages xen-hypervisor-4.20-amd64 recommends:
ii  xen-hypervisor-common  4.20.2+7-g1badcf5035-0+deb13u1
ii  xen-utils-4.20         4.20.2+7-g1badcf5035-0+deb13u1

xen-hypervisor-4.20-amd64 suggests no packages.

-- no debconf information

Hi,
i am not able to passthrough USB Devices to a running HVM DomU as i did
with bookworm or Ubuntu
Every try fails
Even not possible in the XL Config File

Example:

xl create /etc/xen/smart10.cfg
Parsing config from /etc/xen/smart10.cfg
[root at debian01:/usr/local/admin/scripts]# lsusb
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 4c4a:4155 Jieli Technology USB Composite Device
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 05e3:0610 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 046a:c110 CHERRY KC 4500 Ergo Keyboard
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 10c4:ea60 Silicon Labs CP210x UART Bridge
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0557:7000 ATEN International Co., Ltd Hub
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0557:2419 ATEN International Co., Ltd Virtual
mouse/keyboard device
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 05e3:0626 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0bda:9210 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL9210 M.2 NVME
Adapter
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 009 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 010 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 011 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 012 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
[root at debian01:/usr/local/admin/scripts]#
[root at debian01:/usr/local/admin/scripts]# xl usbdev-attach smart10 hostbus=1
hostaddr=5
libxl: error: libxl_qmp.c:1837:qmp_ev_parse_error_messages: Domain 13:Bus
'xenusb-0.0' not found
libxl: error: libxl_device.c:1500:device_addrm_aocomplete: unable to add device
libxl_device_usbdev_add failed.

USB Controlles is created as expcted, but not possible 

[root at debian01:/usr/local/admin/scripts]# xl usb-lis smart10
Devid  Type         BE  state usb-ver ports
0      devicemodel  0   0     2       6    
  Port 1:
  Port 2:
  Port 3:
  Port 4:
  Port 5:
  Port 6:

other USB Device - same error

[root at debian01:/usr/local/admin/scripts]# xl usbdev-attach smart10 hostbus=1
hostaddr=4
libxl: error: libxl_qmp.c:1837:qmp_ev_parse_error_messages: Domain 13:Bus
'xenusb-0.0' not found
libxl: error: libxl_device.c:1500:device_addrm_aocomplete: unable to add device

On Monday, 8 December 2025 14:40:40 CET Volker Gruenewald
wrote:
> [root at debian01:/usr/local/admin/scripts]# xl usbdev-attach smart10
hostbus=1
> hostaddr=5 libxl: error: libxl_qmp.c:1837:qmp_ev_parse_error_messages:
> Domain 13:Bus 'xenusb-0.0' not found libxl: error:
> libxl_device.c:1500:device_addrm_aocomplete: unable to add device
> libxl_device_usbdev_add failed.
> 
> USB Controlles is created as expcted, but not possible
> 
> [root at debian01:/usr/local/admin/scripts]# xl usb-lis smart10
> Devid  Type         BE  state usb-ver ports
> 0      devicemodel  0   0     2       6
>   Port 1:
>   Port 2:
>   Port 3:
>   Port 4:
>   Port 5:
>   Port 6:
This looks like you are trying to pass through a usb1 device, but there is 
only a virtual usb2 controller in your vm.

If you adjust your vm configuration to create a virtual usb1 controller this 
error will probably go away. You can do this by specifying

usb = 1

or alternatively for an usb1 and usb2 controller

usbctrl = [ "version=1, ports=2", "version=2, ports=6" ]

in your vms configuration.

However you likely will run into a different error:

$ xl usbdev-attach testvm hostbus=1 hostaddr=4
libxl: error: libxl_qmp.c:1837:qmp_ev_parse_error_messages: Domain 6:Parameter
'hostaddr' expects uint64
libxl: error: libxl_device.c:1500:device_addrm_aocomplete: unable to add device
libxl_device_usbdev_add failed.

This is a bug in xen and I'm currently in contact with xen upstream about 
that. A possible fix is here:
https://lore.kernel.org/xen-devel/20251215135124.11410-1-anthony at
xenproject.org/

Hi,


thx for reply

so this must have changed since version Xen-4.17 and before

Using xen 4.17 and older i can even define a USB Hostcontroller Version 
3 and attach a(ny) USB Device

that is the same with a physical System, doesn't matter where i put the 
USB Stick in ?


so for me as a user (since XEN 2x or so) it seems that i loose 
functionality in every version

- in XEN 4.1 i could pass through a USB Device to a PVM , since XEN 4.11 
or so only to a HVM

- Passthrough for PCI(e) Devices is gone

now i have to know which USB Device (Version) i want to attach and have 
to do it in the correct order ?


now with the Patch


[root at debian01:~]# xl usb-list usbvm02
Devid? Type? ? ? ? ?BE? state usb-ver ports
0? ? ? devicemodel? 0? ?0? ? ?2? ? ? ?6
 ? Port 1:
 ? Port 2:
 ? Port 3:
 ? Port 4:
 ? Port 5:
 ? Port 6:
Devid? Type? ? ? ? ?BE? state usb-ver ports
1? ? ? devicemodel? 0? ?0? ? ?1? ? ? ?2
 ? Port 1: Bus 001 Device 008
 ? Port 2:
[root at debian01:~]# lsusb
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 4c4a:4155 Jieli Technology USB Composite Device
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 05e3:0610 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 046a:c110 CHERRY KC 4500 Ergo Keyboard
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 10c4:ea60 Silicon Labs CP210x UART Bridge
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0557:7000 ATEN International Co., Ltd Hub
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0557:2419 ATEN International Co., Ltd Virtual 
mouse/keyboard device
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 0a5c:21e8 Broadcom Corp. BCM20702A0 Bluetooth 4.0
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 05e3:0626 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0bda:9210 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL9210 M.2 
NVME Adapter
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 009 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 010 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 011 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 012 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
[root at debian01:~]# xl usbdev-attach usbvm02 hostbus=1 hostaddr=5
libxl: error: libxl_qmp.c:1837:qmp_ev_parse_error_messages: Domain 
14:failed to open host usb device 1:5
libxl: error: libxl_device.c:1500:device_addrm_aocomplete: unable to add 
device
libxl_device_usbdev_add failed.
[root at debian01:~]# xl usbdev-attach usbvm02 hostbus=1 hostaddr=5 
controller=1
[root at debian01:~]# xl usb-list usbvm02
Devid? Type? ? ? ? ?BE? state usb-ver ports
0? ? ? devicemodel? 0? ?0? ? ?2? ? ? ?6
 ? Port 1:
 ? Port 2:
 ? Port 3:
 ? Port 4:
 ? Port 5:
 ? Port 6:
Devid? Type? ? ? ? ?BE? state usb-ver ports
1? ? ? devicemodel? 0? ?0? ? ?1? ? ? ?2
 ? Port 1: Bus 001 Device 008
 ? Port 2: Bus 001 Device 005
[root at debian01:~]#

with XEN 4.17 (and earlier) i only do

xl create /etc/xen/usbvm02.cfg
xl usbctrl-attach usbvm02 version=3 ports=6

xl usbdev-attach usbvm02 hostbus=1 hostaddr=5


regards

Volker


Am 15.12.25 um 19:12 schrieb Maximilian Engelhardt:
> usb = 1