QEMU 9.0 released with LoongArch KVM acceleration and Raspberry Pi 4 support

The open-source machine emulator and virtualization software, QEMU, has unveiled its latest version 9.0, packed with a slew of new features and enhancements. A key highlight is the inclusion of LoongArch KVM acceleration support, which incorporates LSX/LASX vector extensions.

The latest version also introduces multi-queue support for the virtio-blk block driver, which enables different queues of a single disk to be processed by distinct I/O threads. This is a significant development for the software.

RISC-V now comes with ISA/extension support for a range of profiles including Zacas, amocas, RVA22, Zaamo, Zalrsc, Ztso, among others. Additionally, SMBIOS support for RISC-V virt machine, ACPI support for SRAT, SLIT, AIA, PLIC, and updated RHCT table support have been integrated into this version.

QEMU 9.0 has also elevated its support for the ARM architecture. Furthermore, it now supports new boards such as the B-L475E-IOT01A IoT node, the MPS3 dev board, and the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B.

The software's migration features have been broadened with the addition of the mapped-ram capability. This advancement allows for more efficient virtual machine snapshots, improved zero-page detection, and checkpoint-restart support for VFIO, thereby enhancing the reliability and flexibility of VM operations.

The new version also comes with several improvements to gdbstub. Additionally, QEMU 9.0 can now handle the preallocation of memory backends concurrently using multiple threads in some instances.

In addition, QEMU 9.0 also brings numerous other enhancements and bug fixes, that are described in the release notes.