5 What follows is a record of recently removed, formerly deprecated
6 features that serves as a record for users who have encountered
7 trouble after a recent upgrade.
9 System emulator command line arguments
10 --------------------------------------
12 ``-net ...,name=``\ *name* (removed in 5.1)
13 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
15 The ``name`` parameter of the ``-net`` option was a synonym
16 for the ``id`` parameter, which should now be used instead.
18 ``-no-kvm`` (removed in 5.2)
19 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
21 The ``-no-kvm`` argument was a synonym for setting ``-machine accel=tcg``.
23 ``-realtime`` (removed in 6.0)
24 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
26 The ``-realtime mlock=on|off`` argument has been replaced by the
27 ``-overcommit mem-lock=on|off`` argument.
29 ``-show-cursor`` option (removed in 6.0)
30 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
32 Use ``-display sdl,show-cursor=on``, ``-display gtk,show-cursor=on``
33 or ``-display default,show-cursor=on`` instead.
35 ``-tb-size`` option (removed in 6.0)
36 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
38 QEMU 5.0 introduced an alternative syntax to specify the size of the translation
39 block cache, ``-accel tcg,tb-size=``.
41 ``-usbdevice audio`` (removed in 6.0)
42 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
44 This option lacked the possibility to specify an audio backend device.
45 Use ``-device usb-audio`` now instead (and specify a corresponding USB
46 host controller or ``-usb`` if necessary).
48 ``-vnc acl`` (removed in 6.0)
49 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
51 The ``acl`` option to the ``-vnc`` argument has been replaced
52 by the ``tls-authz`` and ``sasl-authz`` options.
54 ``-mon ...,control=readline,pretty=on|off`` (removed in 6.0)
55 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
57 The ``pretty=on|off`` switch has no effect for HMP monitors and
60 QEMU Machine Protocol (QMP) commands
61 ------------------------------------
63 ``block-dirty-bitmap-add`` "autoload" parameter (removed in 4.2.0)
64 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
66 The "autoload" parameter has been ignored since 2.12.0. All bitmaps
67 are automatically loaded from qcow2 images.
69 ``cpu-add`` (removed in 5.2)
70 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
72 Use ``device_add`` for hotplugging vCPUs instead of ``cpu-add``. See
73 documentation of ``query-hotpluggable-cpus`` for additional details.
75 ``change`` (removed in 6.0)
76 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''
78 Use ``blockdev-change-medium`` or ``change-vnc-password`` instead.
80 ``query-events`` (removed in 6.0)
81 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
83 The ``query-events`` command has been superseded by the more powerful
84 and accurate ``query-qmp-schema`` command.
86 Human Monitor Protocol (HMP) commands
87 -------------------------------------
89 The ``hub_id`` parameter of ``hostfwd_add`` / ``hostfwd_remove`` (removed in 5.0)
90 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
92 The ``[hub_id name]`` parameter tuple of the 'hostfwd_add' and
93 'hostfwd_remove' HMP commands has been replaced by ``netdev_id``.
95 ``cpu-add`` (removed in 5.2)
96 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
98 Use ``device_add`` for hotplugging vCPUs instead of ``cpu-add``. See
99 documentation of ``query-hotpluggable-cpus`` for additional details.
101 ``change vnc TARGET`` (removed in 6.0)
102 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
104 No replacement. The ``change vnc password`` and ``change DEVICE MEDIUM``
105 commands are not affected.
107 ``acl_show``, ``acl_reset``, ``acl_policy``, ``acl_add``, ``acl_remove`` (removed in 6.0)
108 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
110 The ``acl_show``, ``acl_reset``, ``acl_policy``, ``acl_add``, and
111 ``acl_remove`` commands were removed with no replacement. Authorization
112 for VNC should be performed using the pluggable QAuthZ objects.
117 RISC-V ISA privilege specification version 1.09.1 (removed in 5.1)
118 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
120 The RISC-V ISA privilege specification version 1.09.1 has been removed.
121 QEMU supports both the newer version 1.10.0 and the ratified version 1.11.0, these
122 should be used instead of the 1.09.1 version.
127 KVM guest support on 32-bit Arm hosts (removed in 5.2)
128 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
130 The Linux kernel has dropped support for allowing 32-bit Arm systems
131 to host KVM guests as of the 5.7 kernel. Accordingly, QEMU is deprecating
132 its support for this configuration and will remove it in a future version.
133 Running 32-bit guests on a 64-bit Arm host remains supported.
135 RISC-V ISA Specific CPUs (removed in 5.1)
136 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
138 The RISC-V cpus with the ISA version in the CPU name have been removed. The
139 four CPUs are: ``rv32gcsu-v1.9.1``, ``rv32gcsu-v1.10.0``, ``rv64gcsu-v1.9.1`` and
140 ``rv64gcsu-v1.10.0``. Instead the version can be specified via the CPU ``priv_spec``
141 option when using the ``rv32`` or ``rv64`` CPUs.
143 RISC-V no MMU CPUs (removed in 5.1)
144 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
146 The RISC-V no MMU cpus have been removed. The two CPUs: ``rv32imacu-nommu`` and
147 ``rv64imacu-nommu`` can no longer be used. Instead the MMU status can be specified
148 via the CPU ``mmu`` option when using the ``rv32`` or ``rv64`` CPUs.
150 System emulator machines
151 ------------------------
153 ``spike_v1.9.1`` and ``spike_v1.10`` (removed in 5.1)
154 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
156 The version specific Spike machines have been removed in favour of the
157 generic ``spike`` machine. If you need to specify an older version of the RISC-V
158 spec you can use the ``-cpu rv64gcsu,priv_spec=v1.10.0`` command line argument.
160 mips ``r4k`` platform (removed in 5.2)
161 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
163 This machine type was very old and unmaintained. Users should use the ``malta``
164 machine type instead.
166 mips ``fulong2e`` machine alias (removed in 6.0)
167 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
169 This machine has been renamed ``fuloong2e``.
171 ``pc-1.0``, ``pc-1.1``, ``pc-1.2`` and ``pc-1.3`` (removed in 6.0)
172 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
174 These machine types were very old and likely could not be used for live
175 migration from old QEMU versions anymore. Use a newer machine type instead.
181 ``tilegx`` CPUs (removed in 6.0)
182 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
184 The ``tilegx`` guest CPU support has been removed without replacement. It was
185 only implemented in linux-user mode, but support for this CPU was removed from
186 the upstream Linux kernel in 2018, and it has also been dropped from glibc, so
187 there is no new Linux development taking place with this architecture. For
188 running the old binaries, you can use older versions of QEMU.
194 ``qemu-nbd --partition`` (removed in 5.0)
195 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
197 The ``qemu-nbd --partition $digit`` code (also spelled ``-P``)
198 could only handle MBR partitions, and never correctly handled logical
199 partitions beyond partition 5. Exporting a partition can still be
200 done by utilizing the ``--image-opts`` option with a raw blockdev
201 using the ``offset`` and ``size`` parameters layered on top of
202 any other existing blockdev. For example, if partition 1 is 100MiB
203 long starting at 1MiB, the old command::
205 qemu-nbd -t -P 1 -f qcow2 file.qcow2
207 can be rewritten as::
209 qemu-nbd -t --image-opts driver=raw,offset=1M,size=100M,file.driver=qcow2,file.file.driver=file,file.file.filename=file.qcow2
211 ``qemu-img convert -n -o`` (removed in 5.1)
212 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
214 All options specified in ``-o`` are image creation options, so
215 they are now rejected when used with ``-n`` to skip image creation.
218 ``qemu-img create -b bad file $size`` (removed in 5.1)
219 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
221 When creating an image with a backing file that could not be opened,
222 ``qemu-img create`` used to issue a warning about the failure but
223 proceed with the image creation if an explicit size was provided.
224 However, as the ``-u`` option exists for this purpose, it is safer to
225 enforce that any failure to open the backing image (including if the
226 backing file is missing or an incorrect format was specified) is an
227 error when ``-u`` is not used.
232 ``-smp`` (invalid topologies) (removed 5.2)
233 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
235 CPU topology properties should describe whole machine topology including
238 However, historically it was possible to start QEMU with an incorrect topology
239 where *n* <= *sockets* * *cores* * *threads* < *maxcpus*,
240 which could lead to an incorrect topology enumeration by the guest.
241 Support for invalid topologies is removed, the user must ensure
242 topologies described with -smp include all possible cpus, i.e.
243 *sockets* * *cores* * *threads* = *maxcpus*.
245 ``-numa`` node (without memory specified) (removed 5.2)
246 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
248 Splitting RAM by default between NUMA nodes had the same issues as ``mem``
249 parameter with the difference that the role of the user plays QEMU using
250 implicit generic or board specific splitting rule.
251 Use ``memdev`` with *memory-backend-ram* backend or ``mem`` (if
252 it's supported by used machine type) to define mapping explicitly instead.
253 Users of existing VMs, wishing to preserve the same RAM distribution, should
254 configure it explicitly using ``-numa node,memdev`` options. Current RAM
255 distribution can be retrieved using HMP command ``info numa`` and if separate
256 memory devices (pc|nv-dimm) are present use ``info memory-device`` and subtract
257 device memory from output of ``info numa``.
259 ``-numa node,mem=``\ *size* (removed in 5.1)
260 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
262 The parameter ``mem`` of ``-numa node`` was used to assign a part of
263 guest RAM to a NUMA node. But when using it, it's impossible to manage a specified
264 RAM chunk on the host side (like bind it to a host node, setting bind policy, ...),
265 so the guest ends up with the fake NUMA configuration with suboptiomal performance.
266 However since 2014 there is an alternative way to assign RAM to a NUMA node
267 using parameter ``memdev``, which does the same as ``mem`` and adds
268 means to actually manage node RAM on the host side. Use parameter ``memdev``
269 with *memory-backend-ram* backend as replacement for parameter ``mem``
270 to achieve the same fake NUMA effect or a properly configured
271 *memory-backend-file* backend to actually benefit from NUMA configuration.
272 New machine versions (since 5.1) will not accept the option but it will still
273 work with old machine types. User can check the QAPI schema to see if the legacy
274 option is supported by looking at MachineInfo::numa-mem-supported property.
276 ``-mem-path`` fallback to RAM (removed in 5.0)
277 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
279 If guest RAM allocation from file pointed by ``mem-path`` failed,
280 QEMU was falling back to allocating from RAM, which might have resulted
281 in unpredictable behavior since the backing file specified by the user
282 as ignored. Currently, users are responsible for making sure the backing storage
283 specified with ``-mem-path`` can actually provide the guest RAM configured with
284 ``-m`` and QEMU fails to start up if RAM allocation is unsuccessful.
286 ``-smp`` (invalid topologies) (removed 5.2)
287 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
289 CPU topology properties should describe whole machine topology including
292 However, historically it was possible to start QEMU with an incorrect topology
293 where *n* <= *sockets* * *cores* * *threads* < *maxcpus*,
294 which could lead to an incorrect topology enumeration by the guest.
295 Support for invalid topologies is removed, the user must ensure
296 topologies described with -smp include all possible cpus, i.e.
297 *sockets* * *cores* * *threads* = *maxcpus*.
299 ``-machine enforce-config-section=on|off`` (removed 5.2)
300 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
302 The ``enforce-config-section`` property was replaced by the
303 ``-global migration.send-configuration={on|off}`` option.
308 VXHS backend (removed in 5.1)
309 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
311 The VXHS code did not compile since v2.12.0. It was removed in 5.1.