linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 0/24] make atomic_read() behave consistently across all architectures

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Message-ID: <46C23078.4040109@redhat.com>
Date:	Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:45:12 -0400
From:	Chris Snook <csnook@...hat.com>
To:	Christoph Lameter <clameter@....com>
CC:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, linux-arch@...r.kernel.org,
	torvalds@...ux-foundation.org, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
	akpm@...ux-foundation.org, ak@...e.de, heiko.carstens@...ibm.com,
	davem@...emloft.net, schwidefsky@...ibm.com, wensong@...ux-vs.org,
	horms@...ge.net.au, wjiang@...ilience.com, cfriesen@...tel.com,
	zlynx@....org, rpjday@...dspring.com, jesper.juhl@...il.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH 0/24] make atomic_read() behave consistently across all
 architectures

Christoph Lameter wrote:
> On Thu, 9 Aug 2007, Chris Snook wrote:
> 
>> This patchset makes the behavior of atomic_read uniform by removing the
>> volatile keyword from all atomic_t and atomic64_t definitions that currently
>> have it, and instead explicitly casts the variable as volatile in
>> atomic_read().  This leaves little room for creative optimization by the
>> compiler, and is in keeping with the principles behind "volatile considered
>> harmful".
> 
> volatile is generally harmful even in atomic_read(). Barriers control
> visibility and AFAICT things are fine.

But barriers force a flush of *everything* in scope, which we generally don't 
want.  On the other hand, we pretty much always want to flush atomic_* 
operations.  One way or another, we should be restricting the volatile behavior 
to the thing that needs it.  On most architectures, this patch set just moves 
that from the declaration, where it is considered harmful, to the use, where it 
is considered an occasional necessary evil.

See the resubmitted patchset, which also puts a cast in the atomic[64]_set 
operations.

	-- Chris
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