linux-kernel - Re: [RFC PATCH 2/4] rseq: Allow extending struct rseq

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Date:   Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:30:49 -0400
From:   Carlos O'Donell <carlos@...hat.com>
To:     Mathieu Desnoyers <mathieu.desnoyers@...icios.com>,
        Florian Weimer <fweimer@...hat.com>
Cc:     Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>,
        linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        paulmck <paulmck@...ux.ibm.com>,
        Boqun Feng <boqun.feng@...il.com>,
        "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>, Paul Turner <pjt@...gle.com>,
        linux-api <linux-api@...r.kernel.org>,
        Christian Brauner <christian.brauner@...ntu.com>
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 2/4] rseq: Allow extending struct rseq

On 7/14/20 9:19 AM, Mathieu Desnoyers wrote:
> Is there an arch-agnostic way to get the thread pointer from user-space code ? That
> would be needed by all rseq critical section implementations.

Yes, and no. We have void *__builtin_thread_pointer (void), but
few architectures implement the builtin so we'd have to go through
a round of compiler updates and backports. All targets know how to
access the thread pointer because the compiler has to generate
IE-mode accesses to the TLS variables.

I have filed an enhancement request:
Bug 96200 - Implement __builtin_thread_pointer() and 
            __builtin_set_thread_pointer() if TLS is supported
https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=96200

We have glibc internal macro APIs to access the thread pointer,
but I would rather the compiler handle the access since it can
schedule the resulting sequence better.

On some arches setting the therad pointer needs a syscall or
equivalent operation (hppa), and for some arches there is no
fixed register (arm) hence the need for __builtin_thread_pointer()
to force the compiler to place the pointer into a register for
function return.

-- 
Cheers,
Carlos.