linux-kernel - Re: cmpxchg and x86 flags output

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Date:	Thu, 16 Jun 2016 15:21:41 -0700
From:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:	Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>
Cc:	Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	linux-arch <linux-arch@...r.kernel.org>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>
Subject: Re: cmpxchg and x86 flags output

On 06/15/16 01:50, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
>>
>> It seems to me that the sanest way to handle this is to add a new
>> interface with a fourth parameter, so:
>>
>> 	changed = cmpxchgx(ptr, old, new, out);
> 
> See also:
> 
>   lkml.kernel.org/r/146358429016.8596.3381723959064491676.stgit@...thog.procyon.org.uk
> 
> where David suggests the same.
> 
>>
>> A generic implementation of cmpxchgx() would be provided, looking like:
>>
>> #define cmpxchgx(ptr, old, new, out) ({			\
>> 	__typeof__((*(ptr))) __old = (old);		\
>> 	__typeof__((*(ptr))) __new = (new);		\
>> 	__typeof__((*(ptr))) __old = (old);		\
>> 	__typeof__((*(ptr))) __out; 			\
>> 	(out) = __out = cmpxchg(ptr, __old, __new);	\
>> 	(__old != __out);				\
>> })
>>
>> ... and so on for all the many other variants.
>>
>> However, I'm wondering how well this will fit in with other
>> architectures.
> 
> All ll/sc based archs also already know if the operation succeeded
> without having to do the extra comparison.
> 
> SPARCv9,S390x which are native CAS architectures, also places the
> success of the operation in condition codes.
> 
> IA64 might be the odd duck out (or I'm not reading the manual right,
> which is entirely possible).
> 
>> Keep in mind gcc will probably gain this ability for
>> other architectures with flags at some point, although that doesn't
>> inherently mean that cmpxchg will be able to make use of it.
>>
>> This means a lot of changes even to common code, so I want to make sure
>> the interface is right before embarking on an implementation.
>>
>> Thoughts?
> 
> David has already done lots of the conversions for you.
> 

Well, that sounds promising.  I wonder how David's model, using
intrinsics (do we have enough intrinsics to actually be able to do this
"correctly"?), compare to using the flags output from assembly.

	-hpa