linux-kernel - Re: [patch] Re: using long instead of atomic

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Date:	Mon, 3 Mar 2008 14:23:40 -0800 (PST)
From:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
To:	"Rafael J. Wysocki" <rjw@...k.pl>
cc:	Pavel Machek <pavel@....cz>, Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
	Alan Stern <stern@...land.harvard.edu>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Zdenek Kabelac <zdenek.kabelac@...il.com>, davem@...emloft.net,
	Pierre Ossman <drzeus-mmc@...eus.cx>,
	Kernel development list <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	pm list <linux-pm@...ts.linux-foundation.org>,
	"Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
Subject: Re: [patch] Re: using long instead of atomic_t when only set/read
 is required



On Mon, 3 Mar 2008, Rafael J. Wysocki wrote:
> 
> Well something like this could happen, in theory, on a "32-bit" architecture
> with a 16-bit bus.

No it couldn't.

That would only be true if there is no cache, and no cache coherency.

Basically, Linux requires a cache-coherent architecture to work in SMP. 
Anything else is insane (except as a cluster).

So there is no way we can see partial updates, except with terminally 
broken hardware that we would never support anyway for tons of other 
reasons.

		Linus
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