linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] documentation: Add disclaimer

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Message-ID: <20160414214015.GA31866@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
Date:	Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:40:15 -0700
From:	"Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
To:	Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>
Cc:	Will Deacon <will.deacon@....com>,
	Leonid Yegoshin <Leonid.Yegoshin@...tec.com>,
	"Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>,
	linux-arch@...r.kernel.org,
	Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@...rix.com>,
	Russell King - ARM Linux <linux@....linux.org.uk>,
	virtualization@...ts.linux-foundation.org,
	Stefano Stabellini <stefano.stabellini@...citrix.com>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>, "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>,
	Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>,
	David Miller <davem@...emloft.net>, linux-ia64@...r.kernel.org,
	linuxppc-dev@...ts.ozlabs.org, linux-s390@...r.kernel.org,
	sparclinux@...r.kernel.org, linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org,
	linux-metag@...r.kernel.org, linux-mips@...ux-mips.org,
	x86@...nel.org, user-mode-linux-devel@...ts.sourceforge.net,
	adi-buildroot-devel@...ts.sourceforge.net,
	linux-sh@...r.kernel.org, linux-xtensa@...ux-xtensa.org,
	xen-devel@...ts.xenproject.org, Ralf Baechle <ralf@...ux-mips.org>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>, ddaney.cavm@...il.com,
	james.hogan@...tec.com, Michael Ellerman <mpe@...erman.id.au>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] documentation: Add disclaimer

On Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 09:35:46AM +0100, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 12:11:43PM -0800, Paul E. McKenney wrote:
> > So Peter, would you like to update your patch to include yourself
> > and Will as authors?
> 
> Sure, here goes.
> 
> ---
> Subject: documentation: Add disclaimer
> 
> It appears people are reading this document as a requirements list for
> building hardware. This is not the intent of this document. Nor is it
> particularly suited for this purpose.
> 
> The primary purpose of this document is our collective attempt to define
> a set of primitives that (hopefully) allow us to write correct code on
> the myriad of SMP platforms Linux supports.
> 
> Its a definite work in progress as our understanding of these platforms,
> and memory ordering in general, progresses.
> 
> Nor does being mentioned in this document mean we think its a
> particularly good idea; the data dependency barrier required by Alpha
> being a prime example. Yes we have it, no you're insane to require it
> when building new hardware.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Peter Zijlstra (Intel) <peterz@...radead.org>

Rather belatedly queued and pushed to -rcu, apologies for the delay.
One minor edit noted below.

							Thanx, Paul

> ---
>  Documentation/memory-barriers.txt | 18 +++++++++++++++++-
>  1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/memory-barriers.txt b/Documentation/memory-barriers.txt
> index a61be39c7b51..98626125f484 100644
> --- a/Documentation/memory-barriers.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/memory-barriers.txt
> @@ -4,8 +4,24 @@
> 
>  By: David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>
>      Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>
> +    Will Deacon <will.deacon@....com>
> +    Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>
> 
> -Contents:
> +==========
> +DISCLAIMER
> +==========
> +
> +This document is not a specification; it is intentionally (for the sake of
> +brevity) and unintentionally (due to being human) incomplete. This document is
> +meant as a guide to using the various memory barriers provided by Linux, but
> +in case of any doubt (and there are many) please ask.
> +
> +I repeat, this document is not a specification of what Linux expects from

s/I/To/ because there is more than one author.

> +hardware.
> +
> +========
> +CONTENTS
> +========
> 
>   (*) Abstract memory access model.
> 
>