RHBA-2011:0720 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

Updated virt-top packages that fix several bugs are now available for Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 6.

Description

virt-top is a utility like top(1) for displaying virtualization stats.

This update fixes the following bugs:

• On the PowerPC platform, binary files generated by the OCaml compiler were

running with executable stacks. As this was not a necessary or desirable
behavior, Exec-Shield stack protection has been enabled for the file
usr/bin/virt-top. Binary files generated by the OCaml compiler no longer run
with executable stacks. (BZ#605124)

• The "historical %CPU" was displayed at the bottom of virt-top's output,

whereas the virt-top(1) manual page indicated that it was placed at the top of
virt-top's display. This update corrects virt-top's output so that the
"historical %CPU" is now correctly displayed in the top right-hand corner of
virt-top's output, thus resolving the issue. (BZ#629500)

• When a user randomly changed the size of the terminal window in which the

virt-top utility was running, virt-top aborted unexpectedly. This update
corrects the behavior so that virt-top no longer aborts unexpectedly when
resizing the terminal window. (BZ#634435)

• Previously, the virt-top manual page referenced the xm and xentop utilities of

Xen. Because Red Hat no longer ships these utilities with Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 6, the references in the virt-top manual page have been removed. The
manual page no longer mentions the Xen utilities that are not available in Red
Hat Enterprise Linux 6. (BZ#648186)

• The virt-top(1) manual page and help option incorrectly indicated that Xen was

the default hypervisor. This update corrects the virt-top manual page and help
option to remove the incorrect indications. (BZ#676979)

• The virt-top utility previously required the ocaml-camomile-data package in

order to be built. Because the ocaml-camomile-data package is not present in Red
Hat Enterprise Linux 6, and is actually not a requirement for building the
virt-top package, this dependency has been dropped. This updated virt-top
package no longer requires the ocaml-camomile-data as a dependency. (BZ#661783)

• When a user used the "--end-time" option of the virt-top utility, the

specified execution time was not followed. Instead, the "--end-time" option gave
inaccurate results due to the erroneous computing of timezones. The issue has
been resolved by fixing the problem. Now the "--end-time" option works correctly
and provides expected output. (BZ#637964)

• When using the "--end-time" option of the virt-top utility, the utility did

not stop at the time specified. Instead, the utility continued in execution.
This has been caused by virt-top not following user's local timezones and making
use of UTC instead. The problem has been fixed so that virt-top now uses local
timezones and stops at the time specified by the user. (BZ#680344)

• Previously, the virt-top(1) manual page did not give correct information on

virtual machine's memory usage when running in batch mode. It did not mention
the fact that the virt-top utility only shows the memory allocated to the guest,
not the real amount of memory used by the guest. This misleading information has
been corrected and the virt-top utility manual page no longer confuses the user.
(BZ#647991)

• Previously, the virt-top's option "-b" as documented in the virt-top manual

page did not work as expected. The results of the "virt-top -b" and "virt-top"
commands were the same. The issue has been resolved by making virt-top's
behavior in batch mode similar to the command "top -b". Now virt-top works
correctly in batch mode. (BZ#643893)

All users of virt-top should install these updated packages, which resolve these
issues.

Solution

Before applying this update, make sure all previously-released errata
relevant to your system have been applied.

This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to
use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-11259

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 6 ppc64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Scientific Computing 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 6 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support Extension 6 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support Extension 6 i386

Fixes

• BZ - 629500 - Can not see historical %CPU on virt-top
• BZ - 634435 - virt-top exits when resize window from right to left reach minimum or reverse
• BZ - 637964 - virt-top: The option --end-time of the virt-top doesn't work correctly
• BZ - 643893 - RFE: "virt-top -b" should be more like "top -b"
• BZ - 647987 - libvirt linuxDomainInterfaceStats received stats includes broadcast traffic on the bridge which is not technically "received" by the guest
• BZ - 647991 - Improve virt-top man page to explain that total guest RAM is shown as "memory"
• BZ - 648186 - virt-top man page wrongly points to xm utilities which are not available
• BZ - 661783 - virt-top can't be rebuild in mock
• BZ - 676979 - virt-top help option and man virt-top covers incorrect default Xen hypervisor
• BZ - 680344 - virt-top --end time <HH:MM:SS> doesn't work

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)