docs: specify stability of hypfs path documentation

In docs/misc/hypfs-paths.pandoc the supported paths in the hypervisor
file system are specified. Make it more clear that path availability
might change, e.g. due to scope widening or narrowing (e.g. being
limited to a specific architecture).

Signed-off-by: Juergen Gross <jgross@suse.com>
Acked-by: Jan Beulich <jbeulich@suse.com>
Release-acked-by: Paul Durrant <paul@xen.org>

diff --git a/docs/misc/hypfs-paths.pandoc b/docs/misc/hypfs-paths.pandoc
index a111c6f25c82f461f93fc26fa73ae88ac9e0ce6e..81d70bb80c425d718f3c3d6a6839d90403300eaf 100644 (file)
--- a/docs/misc/hypfs-paths.pandoc
+++ b/docs/misc/hypfs-paths.pandoc
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ in the Xen hypervisor file system (hypfs).
 
 The hypervisor file system can be accessed via the xenhypfs tool.
 
+The availability of the hypervisor file system depends on the hypervisor
+config option CONFIG_HYPFS, which is on per default.
+
 ## Notation
 
 The hypervisor file system is similar to the Linux kernel's sysfs.
@@ -64,6 +67,23 @@ the list elements separated by spaces, e.g. "dom0 PCID-on".
 The entry would be writable and it would exist on X86 only and only if the
 hypervisor is configured to support PV guests.
 
+# Stability
+
+Path *presence* is not stable, but path *meaning* is always stable: if a tool
+you write finds a path present, it can rely on behavior in future versions of
+the hypervisors, and in different configurations.  Specifically:
+
+1. Conditions under which paths are used may be extended, restricted, or
+   removed.  For example, a path that\92s always available only on ARM systems
+   may become available on x86; or a path available on both systems may be
+   restricted to only appearing on ARM systems.  Paths may also disappear
+   entirely.
+2. However, the meaning of a path will never change.  If a path is present,
+   it will always have exactly the meaning that it always had.  In order to
+   maintain this, removed paths should be retained with the tag [REMOVED].
+   The path may be restored *only* if the restored version of the path is
+   compatible with the previous functionality.
+
 ## Example
 
 A populated Xen hypervisor file system might look like the following example: