Date:   Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:03:58 -0700
From:   paulmck@...nel.org
To:     rcu@...r.kernel.org
Cc:     linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, kernel-team@...com, mingo@...nel.org,
        jiangshanlai@...il.com, dipankar@...ibm.com,
        akpm@...ux-foundation.org, mathieu.desnoyers@...icios.com,
        josh@...htriplett.org, tglx@...utronix.de, peterz@...radead.org,
        rostedt@...dmis.org, dhowells@...hat.com, edumazet@...gle.com,
        fweisbec@...il.com, oleg@...hat.com, joel@...lfernandes.org,
        "Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@...nel.org>
Subject: [PATCH tip/core/rcu 06/14] torture: Update initrd documentation

From: "Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@...nel.org>

The rcu-test-image.txt documentation covers a very uncommon case where
a real userspace environment is required.  However, someone reading this
document might reasonably conclude that this is in fact a prerequisite.
In addition, the initrd.txt file mentions dracut, which is no longer used.
This commit therefore provides the needed updates.

Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@...nel.org>
---
 tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/initrd.txt  | 36 +++++-----------------
 .../selftests/rcutorture/doc/rcu-test-image.txt    | 35 ++++++++++++++++++---
 2 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 34 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/initrd.txt b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/initrd.txt
index 933b4fd..41a4255 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/initrd.txt
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/initrd.txt
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
-The rcutorture scripting tools automatically create the needed initrd
-directory using dracut.  Failing that, this tool will create an initrd
-containing a single statically linked binary named "init" that loops
-over a very long sleep() call.  In both cases, this creation is done
-by tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/mkinitrd.sh.
+The rcutorture scripting tools automatically create an initrd containing
+a single statically linked binary named "init" that loops over a
+very long sleep() call.  In both cases, this creation is done by
+tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/bin/mkinitrd.sh.
 
-However, if you are attempting to run rcutorture on a system that does
-not have dracut installed, and if you don't like the notion of static
-linking, you might wish to press an existing initrd into service:
+However, if you don't like the notion of statically linked bare-bones
+userspace environments, you might wish to press an existing initrd
+into service:
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 cd tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture
@@ -15,24 +14,3 @@ mkdir initrd
 cd initrd
 cpio -id < /tmp/initrd.img.zcat
 # Manually verify that initrd contains needed binaries and libraries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-Interestingly enough, if you are running rcutorture, you don't really
-need userspace in many cases.  Running without userspace has the
-advantage of allowing you to test your kernel independently of the
-distro in place, the root-filesystem layout, and so on.  To make this
-happen, put the following script in the initrd's tree's "/init" file,
-with 0755 mode.
-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#!/bin/sh
-
-while :
-do
-	sleep 10
-done
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-This approach also allows most of the binaries and libraries in the
-initrd filesystem to be dispensed with, which can save significant
-space in rcutorture's "res" directory.
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/rcu-test-image.txt b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/rcu-test-image.txt
index cc280ba..b2fc247 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/rcu-test-image.txt
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/doc/rcu-test-image.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,33 @@
-This document describes one way to create the rcu-test-image file
-that contains the filesystem used by the guest-OS kernel.  There are
-probably much better ways of doing this, and this filesystem could no
-doubt be smaller.  It is probably also possible to simply download
-an appropriate image from any number of places.
+Normally, a minimal initrd is created automatically by the rcutorture
+scripting.  But minimal really does mean "minimal", namely just a single
+root directory with a single statically linked executable named "init":
+
+$ size tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/initrd/init
+   text    data     bss     dec     hex filename
+    328       0       8     336     150 tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/initrd/init
+
+Suppose you need to run some scripts, perhaps to monitor or control
+some aspect of the rcutorture testing.  This will require a more fully
+filled-out userspace, perhaps containing libraries, executables for
+the shell and other utilities, and soforth.  In that case, place your
+desired filesystem here:
+
+	tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/initrd
+
+For example, your tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/initrd/init might
+be a script that does any needed mount operations and starts whatever
+scripts need starting to properly monitor or control your testing.
+The next rcutorture build will then incorporate this filesystem into
+the kernel image that is passed to qemu.
+
+Or maybe you need a real root filesystem for some reason, in which case
+please read on!
+
+The remainder of this document describes one way to create the
+rcu-test-image file that contains the filesystem used by the guest-OS
+kernel.  There are probably much better ways of doing this, and this
+filesystem could no doubt be smaller.  It is probably also possible to
+simply download an appropriate image from any number of places.
 
 That said, here are the commands:
 
-- 
2.9.5

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