Re: [PATCH 0/7] Factor out common build rules and helpers in tools/tests

[Edwin Torok <edwin.torok@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> On 23 Feb 2026, at 10:42, Jan Beulich <jbeulich@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> On 23.02.2026 11:14, Edwin Török wrote:
>> There are a lot of duplicate rules and code in tools/tests.
>> To simplify writing new tests move common build rules into a
>> `tools/tests/Rules.mk`, and helper macros/functions into 
>> `common/{tests,guests}.{c,h}`.
>> 
>> This also ensures that CFLAGS are applied consistently across all tests 
>> (e.g. one test failed
>> to build now due to an unused variable error).
>> 
>> Guest creation also needs to test for the presence of PV, HVM HAP or HVM 
>> shadow support
>> in Xen and create a guest accordingly. This can be shared.
>> 
>> After these changes the per-test Makefile only contains entries specific
>> to the test (its name, dependencies, etc.) and avoids having to
>> copy&paste boilerplate code.
>> 
>> `tools/tests/x86_emulator` remains unchanged, because the Makefile
>> contains a lot of conditional build logic specific to that test.
>> 
>> An upcoming patch series will introduce new tests using the simplified
>> Makefile and shared helpers.
>> 
>> For convenience this is also available at:
>> https://gitlab.com/xen-project/people/edwintorok/xen/-/compare/staging...private%2Fedvint%2Fmigration-tests2?from_project_id=2336572
>> https://gitlab.com/xen-project/people/edwintorok/xen/-/pipelines/2342318716
>> 
>> Edwin Török (7):
>>  tools/tests/*/Makefile: factor out common PHONY rules into Rules.mk
>>  tools/tests/vpci/main.c: drop unused variables
>>  tools/tests/*/Makefile: factor out build rules
>>  tools/tests: factor out common helpers
>>  tools/tests/common: ensure error messages have a newline
>>  tools/tests/tsx: move guest creation to common area
>>  tools/tests: print more debug info
> 
> Just fyi that there is also
> https://lists.xen.org/archives/html/xen-devel/2026-02/msg00751.html.
> Can the two of you maybe work together to have a single resulting approach?
> 
> Jan

There is definitely a lot in common between the two series, and I’m talking 
with Denis.
The Makefile cleanups that both of us have done can probably go in first as 
part of a shared series,
I’ll try to setup a combined branch to see how that’d look like.

Best regards,
—Edwin