> > +config LIVEUPDATE
> > + bool "Live Update Orchestrator"
> > + depends on KEXEC_HANDOVER
> > + help
> > + Enable the Live Update Orchestrator. Live Update is a mechanism,
> > + typically based on kexec, that allows the kernel to be updated
> > + while keeping selected devices operational across the transition.
> > + These devices are intended to be reclaimed by the new kernel and
> > + re-attached to their original workload without requiring a device
> > + reset.
> > +
> > + This functionality depends on specific support within device drivers
> > + and related kernel subsystems.
>
> This is not clear if the ability to reattach a device to the new kernel or
> the entire live update functionality depends on specific support with
> drivers.
>
> Probably better phrase it as
>
> Ability to handover a device from old to new kernel depends ...
Updated
>
> > +
> > + This feature is primarily used in cloud environments to quickly
> > + update the kernel hypervisor with minimal disruption to the
> > + running virtual machines.
>
> I wouldn't put it into Kconfig. If anything I'd make it
>
> This feature primarily targets virtual machine hosts to quickly ...
Ok
> > + * The core of LUO is a state machine that tracks the progress of a live update,
> > + * along with a callback API that allows other kernel subsystems to participate
> > + * in the process. Example subsystems that can hook into LUO include: kvm,
> > + * iommu, interrupts, vfio, participating filesystems, and mm.
>
> Please spell out memory management.
Done.
>
> > + * LUO uses KHO to transfer memory state from the current Kernel to the next
>
> A link to KHO docs would have been nice, but I'm not sure kernel-doc can do
> that nicely.
Added a link, a simple path to rst, is apparently correctly converted
to a link by sphinx.
>
> > + * Kernel.
>
> Why capital 'K'? :)
Fixed.
>
> > + * The LUO state machine ensures that operations are performed in the correct
> > + * sequence and provides a mechanism to track and recover from potential
> > + * failures, and select devices and subsystems that should participate in
> > + * live update sequence.
> > + */
> > +
> > +#define pr_fmt(fmt) KBUILD_MODNAME ": " fmt
> > +
> > +#include <linux/err.h>
> > +#include <linux/kobject.h>
> > +#include <linux/liveupdate.h>
> > +#include <linux/rwsem.h>
> > +#include <linux/string.h>
> > +#include "luo_internal.h"
> > +
> > +static DECLARE_RWSEM(luo_state_rwsem);
> > +
> > +enum liveupdate_state luo_state;
>
> static?
Fixed
> Hmm, luo_state is initialized to 0 (NORMAL) which means we always start
> from NORMAL, although the second kernel is not in the normal state until
> the handover is complete. Maybe we need an initial "unknown" state until
> some of luo code starts running and would set an actual known state?
Added: LIVEUPDATE_STATE_UNDEFINED that exists only before LUO is
initialized during boot.
> > +const char *const luo_state_str[] = {
> > + [LIVEUPDATE_STATE_NORMAL] = "normal",
> > + [LIVEUPDATE_STATE_PREPARED] = "prepared",
> > + [LIVEUPDATE_STATE_FROZEN] = "frozen",
> > + [LIVEUPDATE_STATE_UPDATED] = "updated",
> > +};
> > +
> > +bool luo_enabled;
>
> static?
Fixed.
>
> > +static int __init early_liveupdate_param(char *buf)
> > +{
> > + return kstrtobool(buf, &luo_enabled);
> > +}
> > +early_param("liveupdate", early_liveupdate_param);
> > +
> > +/* Return true if the current state is equal to the provided state */
> > +static inline bool is_current_luo_state(enum liveupdate_state expected_state)
> > +{
> > + return READ_ONCE(luo_state) == expected_state;
> > +}
> > +
> > +static void __luo_set_state(enum liveupdate_state state)
> > +{
> > + WRITE_ONCE(luo_state, state);
> > +}
> > +
> > +static inline void luo_set_state(enum liveupdate_state state)
> > +{
> > + pr_info("Switched from [%s] to [%s] state\n",
> > + LUO_STATE_STR, luo_state_str[state]);
>
> Maybe LUO_CURRENT_STATE_STR?
Done
> > + __luo_set_state(state);
> > +}
> > +
> > +static int luo_do_freeze_calls(void)
> > +{
> > + return 0;
> > +}
> > +
> > +static void luo_do_finish_calls(void)
> > +{
> > +}
> > +
> > +int luo_prepare(void)
> > +{
> > + return 0;
> > +}
> > +
> > +/**
> > + * luo_freeze() - Initiate the final freeze notification phase for live update.
> > + *
> > + * Attempts to transition the live update orchestrator state from
> > + * %LIVEUPDATE_STATE_PREPARED to %LIVEUPDATE_STATE_FROZEN. This function is
> > + * typically called just before the actual reboot system call (e.g., kexec)
> > + * is invoked, either directly by the orchestration tool or potentially from
> > + * within the reboot syscall path itself.
> > + *
> > + * Based on the outcome of the notification process:
> > + * - If luo_do_freeze_calls() returns 0 (all callbacks succeeded), the state
> > + * is set to %LIVEUPDATE_STATE_FROZEN using luo_set_state(), indicating
> > + * readiness for the imminent kexec.
> > + * - If luo_do_freeze_calls() returns a negative error code (a callback
> > + * failed), the state is reverted to %LIVEUPDATE_STATE_NORMAL using
> > + * luo_set_state() to cancel the live update attempt.
>
> The kernel-doc comments are mostly for users of a function and describe how
> it should be used rather how it is implemented.
SGTM, cleaned-up.
> I don't think it's important to mention return values of
> luo_do_freeze_calls() here. The important things are whether registered
> subsystems succeeded to freeze or not and the state changes.
> I'd also mention that if a subsystem fails to freeze, everything is
> canceled.
Added
> > +/**
> > + * luo_finish - Finalize the live update process in the new kernel.
> > + *
> > + * This function is called after a successful live update reboot into a new
> > + * kernel, once the new kernel is ready to transition to the normal operational
> > + * state. It signals the completion of the live update sequence to subsystems.
> > + *
> > + * It first attempts to acquire the write lock for the orchestrator state.
> > + *
> > + * Then, it checks if the system is in the ``LIVEUPDATE_STATE_UPDATED`` state.
> > + * If not, it logs a warning and returns ``-EINVAL``.
> > + *
> > + * If the state is correct, it triggers the ``LIVEUPDATE_FINISH`` notifier
>
> Here too, you describe what the function does rather how it should be used
Fixed
>
> > + * chain. Note that the return value of the notifier is intentionally ignored as
> > + * finish callbacks must not fail. Finally, the orchestrator state is
>
> And what should happen if there was an error in a finish callback?
Scream, warn, panic, we cannot allow running a system past liveupdate,
if some state was not properly passed from the previous kernel to the
current kernel. This may result in catastrophic memory leaks.
> > +static int __init luo_startup(void)
> > +{
> > + __luo_set_state(LIVEUPDATE_STATE_NORMAL);
> > +
> > + return 0;
> > +}
> > +early_initcall(luo_startup);
>
> This means that the second kernel starts with luo_state == NORMAL, then
> at early_initcall transitions to NORMAL again and later is set to UPDATED,
> doesn't it?
In the next patch, in this function we transition to UPDATED. So,
technically, we go from NORMAL to UPDATED. However, I added UNDEFINED
state so, in this function we either go from UNDEFINED to UPDATED or
UNDEFINED to NORMAL.
> > + * @return true if the system is in the ``LIVEUPDATE_STATE_NORMAL`` state,
> > + * false otherwise.
> > + */
> > +bool liveupdate_state_normal(void)
> > +{
> > + return is_current_luo_state(LIVEUPDATE_STATE_NORMAL);
> > +}
> > +EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(liveupdate_state_normal);
>
> Won't liveupdate_get_state() do?
Yeah, we can simply return state, and let caller to compare. However,
I think, caller is only interested if this is normal state or if live
update is in progress. I will keep them, and also added
liveupdate_get_state().
> > +
> > +/**
> > + * liveupdate_enabled - Check if the live update feature is enabled.
> > + *
> > + * This function returns the state of the live update feature flag, which
> > + * can be controlled via the ``liveupdate`` kernel command-line parameter.
> > + *
> > + * @return true if live update is enabled, false otherwise.
> > + */
> > +bool liveupdate_enabled(void)
> > +{
> > + return luo_enabled;
> > +}
> > +EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(liveupdate_enabled);
> > diff --git a/drivers/misc/liveupdate/luo_internal.h b/drivers/misc/liveupdate/luo_internal.h
> > new file mode 100644
> > index 000000000000..34e73fb0318c
> > --- /dev/null
> > +++ b/drivers/misc/liveupdate/luo_internal.h
> > @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
> > +/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 */
> > +
> > +/*
> > + * Copyright (c) 2025, Google LLC.
> > + * Pasha Tatashin <pasha.tatashin@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > + */
> > +
> > +#ifndef _LINUX_LUO_INTERNAL_H
> > +#define _LINUX_LUO_INTERNAL_H
> > +
> > +int luo_cancel(void);
> > +int luo_prepare(void);
> > +int luo_freeze(void);
> > +int luo_finish(void);
> > +
> > +void luo_state_read_enter(void);
> > +void luo_state_read_exit(void);
> > +
> > +extern const char *const luo_state_str[];
> > +
> > +/* Get the current state as a string */
> > +#define LUO_STATE_STR luo_state_str[READ_ONCE(luo_state)]
>
> IIUC you need the macro to have LUO_STATE_STR available in all files in
> liveupdate/ but without exposing luo_state.
>
> I think that we can do a function call to get that string, will make things
> nicer IMHO.
Done.
>
> > +
> > +extern enum liveupdate_state luo_state;
> > +
> > +#endif /* _LINUX_LUO_INTERNAL_H */
> > diff --git a/include/linux/liveupdate.h b/include/linux/liveupdate.h
> > new file mode 100644
> > index 000000000000..c2740da70958
> > --- /dev/null
> > +++ b/include/linux/liveupdate.h
> > @@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
> > +/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 */
> > +
> > +/*
> > + * Copyright (c) 2025, Google LLC.
> > + * Pasha Tatashin <pasha.tatashin@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > + */
> > +#ifndef _LINUX_LIVEUPDATE_H
> > +#define _LINUX_LIVEUPDATE_H
> > +
> > +#include <linux/bug.h>
> > +#include <linux/types.h>
> > +#include <linux/list.h>
> > +
> > +/**
> > + * enum liveupdate_event - Events that trigger live update callbacks.
> > + * @LIVEUPDATE_PREPARE: PREPARE should happens *before* the blackout window.
>
> should happen or happens ;-)
Done
>
> > + * Subsystems should prepare for an upcoming reboot by
> > + * serializing their states. However, it must be considered
>
> It's not only about state serialization, it's also about adjusting
> operational mode so that state that was serialized won't be changed or at
> least the changes from PREPARE to FREEZE would be accounted somehow.
By serialization, I mean is to save their state, but I agree, the
devices and resources are also should be in a limited state where the
serialized data should not be altered between prepare and freeze (i.e.
no memfd resizing, no new DMA mappings, etc).
Thank you for your comments.
Pasha
