linux-kernel - [LOCK] Is it really necessary to use a "big module lock"?

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: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

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

Date:	Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:35:13 +0800
From:	Jerry Jiang <wjiang@...ilience.com>
To:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: [LOCK] Is it really necessary to use a "big module lock"?


Hi all,

I came across a question when review other's module code.

something like:

int __init module_init()
{
	down_interruptible(the_big_module_sem);
	// code for init...
	up(the_big_module_sem);
}

void __exit module_exit()
{
	down_interruptible(the_big_module_sem);
	// code for exit...
	up(the_big_module_sem);
}

My question is:
 - Is the lock truly necessary?
 - If adding it into code, what happens?

Thank you
-- Jerry
-
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/