linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 5.18 01/11] Documentation: Add documentation for Processor MMIO Stale Data

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Date:   Wed, 15 Jun 2022 08:28:27 -0600
From:   Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>
To:     Pawan Gupta <pawan.kumar.gupta@...ux.intel.com>,
        Bagas Sanjaya <bagasdotme@...il.com>
Cc:     Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, stable@...r.kernel.org,
        Borislav Petkov <bp@...e.de>,
        Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
        Linux Doc Mailing List <linux-doc@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 5.18 01/11] Documentation: Add documentation for
 Processor MMIO Stale Data

Pawan Gupta <pawan.kumar.gupta@...ux.intel.com> writes:

> On Wed, Jun 15, 2022 at 08:06:37AM +0700, Bagas Sanjaya wrote:
>>On 6/15/22 01:40, Greg Kroah-Hartman wrote:
>>> +  .. list-table::
>>> +
>>> +     * - 'Not affected'
>>> +       - The processor is not vulnerable
>>> +     * - 'Vulnerable'
>>> +       - The processor is vulnerable, but no mitigation enabled
>>> +     * - 'Vulnerable: Clear CPU buffers attempted, no microcode'
>>> +       - The processor is vulnerable, but microcode is not updated. The
>>> +         mitigation is enabled on a best effort basis.
>>> +     * - 'Mitigation: Clear CPU buffers'
>>> +       - The processor is vulnerable and the CPU buffer clearing mitigation is
>>> +         enabled.
>>> +
>>> +If the processor is vulnerable then the following information is appended to
>>> +the above information:
>>> +
>>> +  ========================  ===========================================
>>> +  'SMT vulnerable'          SMT is enabled
>>> +  'SMT disabled'            SMT is disabled
>>> +  'SMT Host state unknown'  Kernel runs in a VM, Host SMT state unknown
>>> +  ========================  ===========================================
>>> +
>>
>>Why is list-table used in sysfs table instead of usual ASCII table in SMT
>>vulnerabilities list above? I think using ASCII table in both cases is enough
>>for the purpose.
>
> Maybe you are right (and I am no expert in this), but quite a few
> documents use list-table for sysfs status:
>
>    https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/mds.rst
>    https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/spectre.rst
>    https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/admin-guide/hw-vuln/tsx_async_abort.rst

List-table should really be avoided whenever possible; it makes reading
the plain-text files difficult at best.  I'd like to see the existing
uses taken out over time.

This isn't really something to be addressed in the stable updates,
though.

jon