Re: [RFC Patch 2/9] x86 architecture implementation of HardwareBreakpoint interfaces

From: K.Prasad
Date: Tue Oct 07 2008 - 13:29:16 EST


On Tue, Oct 07, 2008 at 11:36:30AM -0400, Alan Stern wrote:
> On Tue, 7 Oct 2008, K.Prasad wrote:
>
> > This patch introduces two new files named hw_breakpoint.[ch] inside x86 specific
> > directories. They contain functions which help validate and serve requests for
> > using Hardware Breakpoint registers on x86 processors.
>
> > --- /dev/null
> > +++ linux-bkpt-lkml-27-rc9/arch/x86/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c
> > @@ -0,0 +1,684 @@
>
> ...
> > +int pre_handler_allowed(unsigned type)
> > +{
> > + if (type == HW_BREAKPOINT_EXECUTE)
> > + return 1;
> > + else
> > + return -EINVAL;
> > +}
>
> The routine's name should match the name in the header file. "allowed"
> isn't right: You're _allowed_ to have pre_handlers -- they just won't
> get invoked. "supported" would be better.
>
> Also, the comment in the header file should explain the meaning of the
> return value -- you should return 0 if a pre_handler is not supported,
> not -EINVAL. Better yet, define the function (both here and in the
> header file) as returning bool rather than int.
>
> > +
> > +int post_handler_allowed(unsigned type)
> > +{
> > + /* We can have a post handler for all types of breakpoints */
> > + return 1;
> > +}
>
> Same comments as above.
>
> Also, in this initial version I would prefer to avoid the complications
> of single-stepping. It can always be added later. So for now, the x86
> implementation should not support post_handlers for execution
> breakpoints.
>
> ...
> > +/*
> > + * Validate the arch-specific HW Breakpoint register settings
> > + */
> > +static int arch_validate_hwbkpt_settings(struct hw_breakpoint *bp,
> > + unsigned long address, unsigned len, unsigned int type,
> > + unsigned int *align)
>
> Why did you move this routine into the arch-specific code?
>

I missed a reply for this comment in my previous mail.

Given that arch_validate_hwbkpt_settings() validates the type of
breakpoint operation requested and length of address to be monitored -
both of which are specific to the underlying processor architecture, I
thought it would be appropriate to place them in
arch/x86/kernel/hw_breakpoint.c.

Thanks,
K.Prasad

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