linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] Tasklets: Avoid duplicating __tasklet_{,hi

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

Message-ID: <20080220193909.GA6344@ubuntu>
Date:	Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:39:09 +0200
From:	"Ahmed S. Darwish" <darwish.07@...il.com>
To:	Dmitry Adamushko <dmitry.adamushko@...il.com>
Cc:	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>, LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] Tasklets: Avoid duplicating __tasklet_{,hi_}schedule()
	code

On Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 03:20:52PM +0100, Dmitry Adamushko wrote:
> On 20/02/2008, Ahmed S. Darwish <darwish.07@...il.com> wrote:
> > On Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 11:41:13AM +0100, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> > >
> > > * Ahmed S. Darwish <darwish.07@...il.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > > > -               local_irq_disable();
> > > > > > -               t->next = __get_cpu_var(tasklet_vec).list;
> > > > > > -               __get_cpu_var(tasklet_vec).list = t;
> > > > > > -               __raise_softirq_irqoff(TASKLET_SOFTIRQ);
> > > > > > -               local_irq_enable();
> > > > > > +               /* We were not lucky enough to run, reschedule. */
> > > > > > +               __tasklet_schedule(t);
> > > > >
> > > > > i think there's a subtle difference that you missed: this one does
> > > > > __raise_softirq_irqoff(), while __tasklet_schedule() does a
> > > > > raise_softirq_irqoff(). (note the lack of undescores)
> > > > >
> > > > > the reason is to avoid infinitely self-activating tasklets.
> > > >
> > > > Indeed, thanks a lot for the explanation. (maybe it's time to check
> > > > for new eyeglasses ;)).
> > >
> > > nah, it's rather subtle and the code looked good to me at first but i
> > > remembered that there was some small detail here to watch out for.
> > >
> > > i really dont like tasklets due to their many, arbitrary scheduling
> > > limitations, we should really use the "turn tasklets into kthreads"
> > > patch i posted last year.
> > >
> >
> > While we are at it, there's a small question that is bothering me
> > for a while (and I'm really thankful for help).
> >
> > I keep reading that softirqs (and naturally, tasklets) got executed
> > in interrupt context at the return from hardirq code path.
> >
> > Checking entry_32.S, I find no mentioning of softirqs on the return
> > path (beginning from ret_from_intr: to restore_all: )
> >
> > The only invocation I'm able to find is from local_bh_enable() and
> > from ksoftirqd/n threads (by calling do_softirq()). AFAIK, both
> > invocations occur in a _nont-interrupt_ context (exception context).
> >
> > So, where does the interrupt-context tasklets invocation really
> > occur ?
> 
> Look at irq_exit() in softirq.c.
> 
> The common sequence is ... -> do_IRQ() --> irq_exit() --> invoke_softirq()
> 
> 

Great, this was the last missing block in my understanding of softirqs :).
Thank you.

[btw, your MUA broke the CC list]

-- 
Ahmed S. Darwish
Homepage: http://darwish.07.googlepages.com
Blog: http://darwish-07.blogspot.com

--
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/