linux-kernel - [tip:sched/core] sched: Update yield() docs

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Date:	Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:47:29 -0700
From:	tip-bot for Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl>
To:	linux-tip-commits@...r.kernel.org
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, hpa@...or.com, mingo@...hat.com,
	joe@...ches.com, a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl, tglx@...utronix.de,
	mingo@...e.hu
Subject: [tip:sched/core] sched: Update yield() docs

Commit-ID:  8e3fabfde445a872c8aec2296846badf24d7c8b4
Gitweb:     http://git.kernel.org/tip/8e3fabfde445a872c8aec2296846badf24d7c8b4
Author:     Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl>
AuthorDate: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 18:54:26 +0100
Committer:  Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
CommitDate: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:43:17 +0100

sched: Update yield() docs

Suggested-by: Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>
Signed-off-by: Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl>
Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/1331056466.11248.327.camel@twins
Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>
---
 kernel/sched/core.c |   20 ++++++++++++++++++--
 1 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/sched/core.c b/kernel/sched/core.c
index 8781cec..47614a5 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/core.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/core.c
@@ -4577,8 +4577,24 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(__cond_resched_softirq);
 /**
  * yield - yield the current processor to other threads.
  *
- * This is a shortcut for kernel-space yielding - it marks the
- * thread runnable and calls sys_sched_yield().
+ * Do not ever use this function, there's a 99% chance you're doing it wrong.
+ *
+ * The scheduler is at all times free to pick the calling task as the most
+ * eligible task to run, if removing the yield() call from your code breaks
+ * it, its already broken.
+ *
+ * Typical broken usage is:
+ *
+ * while (!event)
+ * 	yield();
+ *
+ * where one assumes that yield() will let 'the other' process run that will
+ * make event true. If the current task is a SCHED_FIFO task that will never
+ * happen. Never use yield() as a progress guarantee!!
+ *
+ * If you want to use yield() to wait for something, use wait_event().
+ * If you want to use yield() to be 'nice' for others, use cond_resched().
+ * If you still want to use yield(), do not!
  */
 void __sched yield(void)
 {
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/