linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] x86: Add clflush before monitor for Intel 7400 series

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite for Android: free password hash cracker in your pocket

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Date:	Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:09:12 -0700
From:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:	Venki Pallipadi <venkatesh.pallipadi@...el.com>
CC:	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>, Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] x86: Add clflush before monitor for Intel 7400 series

Venki Pallipadi wrote:
> For Intel 7400 series CPUs, the recommendation is to use a clflush on the
> monitored address just before monitor and mwait pair [1]. This clflush makes
> sure that there are no false wakeups from mwait when the monitored address
> was recently written to.
> 
> [1] "MONITOR/MWAIT Recommendations for Intel Xeon Processor 7400 series"
> section in specification update document of 7400 series
> http://download.intel.com/design/xeon/specupdt/32033601.pdf
> 
> Signed-off-by: Venkatesh Pallipadi <venkatesh.pallipadi@...el.com>

This seems very expensive.  It really makes me wonder if it wouldn't 
just be better to either declare monitor/mwait non-functional on this 
chip, or make sure that mwaits can handle false wakeups.

	-hpa
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/