[RFC virt-manager] virtmanager: list active node devices only

[Cole Robinson]

On 12/22/21 8:40 AM, Shalini Chellathurai Saroja wrote:
> With virt-manager application, it is possible to add inactive node
> devices(eg: mediated devices) in host system to guest system. But it
> is impossible to start a guest system with inactive node devices.
> Also, it is not yet possible to start a node device with virt-manager
> application. So, the user cannot use the inactive node device.
> 
> This patch filters out all inactive node devices and lists only active
> node devices in virt-manager application, so that it is only possible
> to add active node devices to the guest system.
> 

I agree with the idea to consider nodedev active state in the UI. The
problem with this implementation is that now node device listing will
fail on any libvirt older than 1.5 years since they won't support this
polling flag.

I think we should use the (even newer) virNodeDeviceIsActive support for
this so we don't need to touch the polling path. This is how we track
active vs inactive status for other objects like domain, network, storage.

I just pushed a commit that will cache isActive if it is available,
otherwise just assume the devices are active. Now in virt-manager code
can check nodedev.is_active() to get the state.

Rather than just hiding inactive devices, I'd rather we list them in the
UI but set the tree row as insensitive, with a tooltip explaining the
device is inactive, and disable the 'Finish' button. Sound OK?

Thanks,
Cole