linux-kernel - [PATCH 2/2] x86/mm: Document how CR4.PCIDE restore works

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Date:   Wed,  6 Sep 2017 19:54:54 -0700
From:   Andy Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>
To:     X86 ML <x86@...nel.org>
Cc:     Borislav Petkov <bpetkov@...e.de>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Andy Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] x86/mm: Document how CR4.PCIDE restore works

While debugging a problem, I thought that using
cr4_set_bits_and_update_boot() to restore CR4.PCIDE would be
helpful.  It turns out to be counterproductive.

Add a comment documenting how this works.

Signed-off-by: Andy Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>
---
 arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c | 13 +++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c
index 40cb4d0a5982..4c31a6585333 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c
@@ -333,6 +333,19 @@ static void setup_pcid(struct cpuinfo_x86 *c)
 {
 	if (cpu_has(c, X86_FEATURE_PCID)) {
 		if (cpu_has(c, X86_FEATURE_PGE)) {
+			/*
+			 * We'd like to use cr4_set_bits_and_update_boot(),
+			 * but we can't.  CR4.PCIDE is special and can only
+			 * be set in long mode, and the early CPU init code
+			 * doesn't know this and would try to restore CR4.PCIDE
+			 * prior to entering long mode.
+			 *
+			 * Instead, we rely on the fact that hotplug, resume,
+			 * etc all fully restore CR4 before they write anything
+			 * that could have nonzero PCID bits to CR3.  CR4.PCIDE
+			 * has no effect on the page tables themselves, so we
+			 * don't need it top be restored early.
+			 */
 			cr4_set_bits(X86_CR4_PCIDE);
 		} else {
 			/*
-- 
2.13.5