linux-kernel - [tip:perf/core] x86, alternative, doc: Add comment for applying alternatives order

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Message-ID: <tip-509731336313b3799cf03071d72c64fa6383895e@git.kernel.org>
Date:	Wed, 18 May 2011 20:40:58 GMT
From:	tip-bot for Fenghua Yu <fenghua.yu@...el.com>
To:	linux-tip-commits@...r.kernel.org
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, hpa@...or.com, mingo@...hat.com,
	fenghua.yu@...el.com, tglx@...utronix.de, hpa@...ux.intel.com
Subject: [tip:perf/core] x86, alternative, doc: Add comment for applying alternatives order

Commit-ID:  509731336313b3799cf03071d72c64fa6383895e
Gitweb:     http://git.kernel.org/tip/509731336313b3799cf03071d72c64fa6383895e
Author:     Fenghua Yu <fenghua.yu@...el.com>
AuthorDate: Tue, 17 May 2011 15:29:12 -0700
Committer:  H. Peter Anvin <hpa@...ux.intel.com>
CommitDate: Tue, 17 May 2011 15:40:25 -0700

x86, alternative, doc: Add comment for applying alternatives order

Some string operation functions may be patched twice, e.g. on enhanced REP MOVSB
/STOSB processors, memcpy is patched first by fast string alternative function,
then it is patched by enhanced REP MOVSB/STOSB alternative function.

Add comment for applying alternatives order to warn people who may change the
applying alternatives order for any reason.

[ Documentation-only patch ]

Signed-off-by: Fenghua Yu <fenghua.yu@...el.com>
Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/1305671358-14478-4-git-send-email-fenghua.yu@intel.com
Signed-off-by: H. Peter Anvin <hpa@...ux.intel.com>
---
 arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c |    9 +++++++++
 1 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c b/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
index 4a23467..f4fe15d 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/alternative.c
@@ -210,6 +210,15 @@ void __init_or_module apply_alternatives(struct alt_instr *start,
 	u8 insnbuf[MAX_PATCH_LEN];
 
 	DPRINTK("%s: alt table %p -> %p\n", __func__, start, end);
+	/*
+	 * The scan order should be from start to end. A later scanned
+	 * alternative code can overwrite a previous scanned alternative code.
+	 * Some kernel functions (e.g. memcpy, memset, etc) use this order to
+	 * patch code.
+	 *
+	 * So be careful if you want to change the scan order to any other
+	 * order.
+	 */
 	for (a = start; a < end; a++) {
 		u8 *instr = a->instr;
 		BUG_ON(a->replacementlen > a->instrlen);
--
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