linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 3/4] x86 paravirt_ops: implementation of paravirt

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Date:	Sun, 06 Aug 2006 22:56:30 -0700
From:	Jeremy Fitzhardinge <jeremy@...p.org>
To:	Andi Kleen <ak@....de>
CC:	virtualization@...ts.osdl.org, Andrew Morton <akpm@...l.org>,
	Chris Wright <chrisw@...s-sol.org>,
	Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 3/4] x86 paravirt_ops: implementation of paravirt_ops

Andi Kleen wrote:
> On Monday 07 August 2006 06:47, Rusty Russell wrote:
>   
>> This patch does the dumbest possible replacement of paravirtualized
>> instructions: calls through a "paravirt_ops" structure.  Currently
>> these are function implementations of native hardware: hypervisors
>> will override the ops structure with their own variants.
>>     
>
> You should call it HAL - that would make it clearer what it is.
>   

I've always found the term "HAL" to be vague to the point of 
meaningless.  What would it mean in this case:  "hypervisor abstraction 
layer"?  It certainly doesn't attempt abstract all hardware.

> I think I would prefer to patch always. Is there a particular
> reason you can't do that?
>   

Some calls just don't need patching; an indirect call is fast enough, 
and simple.  But I can't think of a good reason to not patch patchable 
calls, other than for debugging perhaps (easier to place one breakpoint 
than one per inline site).

    J
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