linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 09/10] percpu: implement new dynamic percpu allocator

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Message-Id: <200902241322.46275.rusty@rustcorp.com.au>
Date:	Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:22:45 +1030
From:	Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>
To:	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
Cc:	Tejun Heo <tj@...nel.org>, tglx@...utronix.de, x86@...nel.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, hpa@...or.com, jeremy@...p.org,
	cpw@....com, mingo@...e.hu
Subject: Re: [PATCH 09/10] percpu: implement new dynamic percpu allocator

On Friday 20 February 2009 13:34:17 Andrew Morton wrote:
> It's a dumb convention.

I disagree, but it doesn't matter.  Least surprise wins; let's not make
kernel coding any harder than it has to be.

free() does it, so kfree() should do it.  Otherwise call it something
completely different.  Too late, let's move on...

> In the vast majority of cases the pointer is
> not NULL.  We add a test-n-branch to 99.999999999% of cases just to
> save three seconds of programmer effort a single time.

It's unusual, but since I've used it several times in the kernel myself,
it's less than 4 9s (by call sites not by usage, since it tends to be
error paths).

> (We can still do that by adding a new
> kfree_im_not_stupid() which doesn't do the check).

Now you're insulting people who use it as well as exaggerating your case.

Do you need a hug?
Rusty.
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