linux-kernel - Re: [Stable-review] [12/28] x86, cpu: Clean up AMD erratum 400 workaround

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Date:	Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:47:10 +0200
From:	Willy Tarreau <w@....eu>
To:	Greg KH <gregkh@...e.de>
Cc:	Ben Hutchings <ben@...adent.org.uk>,
	Hans Rosenfeld <hans.rosenfeld@....com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, stable-review@...nel.org,
	akpm@...ux-foundation.org, "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...ux.intel.com>,
	torvalds@...ux-foundation.org, stable@...nel.org,
	alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk
Subject: Re: [Stable-review] [12/28] x86, cpu: Clean up AMD erratum 400 workaround

On Tue, Apr 19, 2011 at 10:06:17PM -0700, Greg KH wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 20, 2011 at 05:48:30AM +0100, Ben Hutchings wrote:
> > On Tue, 2011-04-19 at 20:11 -0700, Greg KH wrote:
> > > On Wed, Apr 20, 2011 at 03:17:42AM +0100, Ben Hutchings wrote:
> > > > On Tue, 2011-04-19 at 19:01 -0700, Greg KH wrote:
> > > > > On Wed, Apr 20, 2011 at 02:40:53AM +0100, Ben Hutchings wrote:
> > > > > > On Tue, 2011-04-19 at 13:30 -0700, Greg KH wrote:
> > > > > > > 2.6.32-longterm review patch.  If anyone has any objections, please let us know.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > ------------------
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > From: Hans Rosenfeld <hans.rosenfeld@....com>
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > commit 9d8888c2a214aece2494a49e699a097c2ba9498b upstream.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Remove check_c1e_idle() and use the new AMD errata checking framework
> > > > > > > instead.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Clean-up patches are generally not candidates for longterm updates.
> > > > > 
> > > > > This was added because a follow-on patch required it.
> > > > 
> > > > Ah yes, 'x86, AMD: Set ARAT feature on AMD processors' is using the same
> > > > condition.
> > > > 
> > > > Of course, that could have been backported by referring to the function
> > > > that this removes, rather than pulling in a load of other changes with
> > > > consequent risk of regressions.
> > > 
> > > I prefer to take original patches for stable, it makes it easier in the
> > > end.
> > 
> > It makes what easier, when?  What I see here is a bug fix that is much
> > larger than necessary, with a consequent risk of regression that seems
> > way out of proportion to the benefit.  (What actually *is* the benefit
> > of these AMD changes?)  And we have had several serious regressions in
> > the 2.6.32.y series recently, so I really don't think we are getting the
> > trade-off right.
> 
> We got a few new quirks added for AMD hardware platforms that fix
> problems.  It took 3 patches to get there, yes, but now, as time goes
> on, adding new ones is even easier as the .32 code matches the .39 code
> in this area due to these patches being added.

I totally agree with Greg here. I'd say that sometimes it's even unpleasant
to backport apparently useless fixes, but it's needed to get in sync with
mainline. I've had quite a number of backporting issues in 2.4 because some
fixes were backported so much differently that at one point it was not even
possible to know whether a later fix was needed or not, or how to apply it.

Here if we start remodeling patches to make them smaller before backporting
them, we'll get different code and all subsequent fixes will have to be
adapted to this distinct branch. By doing this, we even risk regressions
because at one point we can introduce stable-specific bugs.

Willy

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