@@ -332,6 +332,18 @@ bit was dedicated for this purpose::
#define VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES 30
+Note that VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES is the UNUSED (30) feature
+bit defined in `VIRTIO 1.1 6.3 Legacy Interface: Reserved Feature Bits
+<https://docs.oasis-open.org/virtio/virtio/v1.1/cs01/virtio-v1.1-cs01.html#x1-4130003>`_.
+VIRTIO devices do not advertise this feature bit and therefore VIRTIO
+drivers cannot negotiate it.
+
+This reserved feature bit was reused by the vhost-user protocol to add
+vhost-user protocol feature negotiation in a backwards compatible
+fashion. Old vhost-user master and slave implementations continue to
+work even though they are not aware of vhost-user protocol feature
+negotiation.
+
Ring states
-----------
@@ -890,7 +902,8 @@ Front-end message types
Get the protocol feature bitmask from the underlying vhost
implementation. Only legal if feature bit
``VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES`` is present in
- ``VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES``.
+ ``VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES``. It does not need to be acknowledged by
+ ``VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES``.
.. Note::
Back-ends that report ``VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES`` must
@@ -906,7 +919,8 @@ Front-end message types
Enable protocol features in the underlying vhost implementation.
Only legal if feature bit ``VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES`` is present in
- ``VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES``.
+ ``VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES``. It does not need to be acknowledged by
+ ``VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES``.
.. Note::
Back-ends that report ``VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES`` must support