linux-kernel - Re: RFD: Should we remove the HLT check? (was Re: [PATCH 1/8] x86: avoid check hlt if no timer interrupts)

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Message-ID: <20100507232448.343b5ebc@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
Date:	Fri, 7 May 2010 23:24:48 +0100
From:	Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
Cc:	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...ux.intel.com>,
	Jacob Pan <jacob.jun.pan@...ux.intel.com>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>, Alek Du <alek.du@...el.com>,
	Feng Tang <feng.tang@...el.com>,
	LKML <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Jacob Pan <jacob.jun.pan@...el.com>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Arjan van de Ven <arjan.van.de.ven@...el.com>
Subject: Re: RFD: Should we remove the HLT check?  (was Re: [PATCH 1/8] x86:
 avoid check hlt if no timer interrupts)

> I'd be cool skipping it for family 5 or newer.  I'm just wondering if we
> should kill it completely -- IIRC it was only a handful of 386/486
> systems which had problems, usually due to marginal power supplies which
> couldn't handle the noise of a variable load (DOS not having any power
> management would run at a reliable 100% load) -- that's not exactly the
> type of systems which would have survived to modern day.

Also SMM and hardware bugs on some platforms - Cyrix MediaGX 5510 for
example where a hlt at the wrong moment during ATA transfers hung the box
until power cycle. But all old old stuff.

Alan
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