linux-kernel - Re: [patch 20/24] perfmon: system calls interface

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Message-Id: <20081204010526.9B888FC053@magilla.sf.frob.com>
Date:	Wed,  3 Dec 2008 17:05:26 -0800 (PST)
From:	Roland McGrath <roland@...hat.com>
To:	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
Cc:	eranian@...glemail.com, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	akpm@...ux-foundation.org, x86@...nel.org, andi@...stfloor.org,
	eranian@...il.com, sfr@...b.auug.org.au,
	Oleg Nesterov <oleg@...hat.com>
Subject: Re: [patch 20/24] perfmon: system calls interface

> > +	/*
> > +	 * cannot attach to a kernel thread
> > +	 */
> > +	if (!task->mm) {

This should test (task->flags & PF_KTHREAD).  (But it's superfluous anyway.)

> > +	/*
> > +	 * cannot attach to a zombie task
> > +	 */
> > +	if (task->exit_state == EXIT_ZOMBIE || task->exit_state == EXIT_DEAD) {

The usual test to write here is just "if (task->exit_state)".
(But it's superfluous anyway.)

> Thirdly, the check for ->exit_state in pfm_task_incompatible() is not 
> needed: we've just passed ptrace_check_attach() so we know we just 
> transitioned the task to task->state == TASK_TRACED.

Correct.

> If you _ever_ see a task exit TASK_TRACED and go zombie or dead from 
> there without this code allowing it that means the whole state machine 
> with ptrace is borked up by perfmon. 

Is always possible for a TASK_TRACED task to suddenly die via SIGKILL, and
it's even possible it will be reaped (EXIT_DEAD) despite ptrace, in the
de_thread() (MT exec) case.  This race is tolerable for everything ptrace
does (it holds a task ref, and the arch code copes).  It must also be
tolerated by the perfmon code.

> For example i dont see where the perfmon-control task parents itself as
> the exclusive debugger (parent) of the debuggee-task.

ptrace_check_attach() ensures that this is so.  


Thanks,
Roland
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