[PATCH] ABI Documentation for /proc/timer_list

From: Joe Korty
Date: Wed Nov 26 2008 - 16:06:39 EST


Document /proc/timer_list ABI.

This documents all of /timer_list, including the extension
adding jiffie timers, as proposed in the patch:

[PATCH] Display active jiffie timers in /proc/timer_list, v2

Signed-off-by: Joe Korty <joe.korty@xxxxxxxx>

Index: 2.6.28-rc6/Documentation/ABI/stable/procfs-timer_list
===================================================================
--- /dev/null 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000000000 +0000
+++ 2.6.28-rc6/Documentation/ABI/stable/procfs-timer_list 2008-11-26 15:55:04.000000000 -0500
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+What: /proc/timer_list
+Date: November 2008
+Contact: Ingo Molnar <mingo@xxxxxxx>
+ Thomas Gleixner <tglx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
+ Joe Korty <joe.korty@xxxxxxxx>
+Revision-Rate: Moderate
+At-Revision: 0.5
+Description:
+ /proc/timer_list displays most everything about every kind
+ of timer, and some things about time too.
+
+ The contents of this file should be expected to change,
+ as the data displayed corresponds directly to various
+ kernel-internal data structures. For this reason, the first
+ line contains the file revision. It is the responsibility
+ of this file's maintainers to bump the revision each time a
+ kernel is released having incompatible changes in this file.
+
+ Section Overview
+ ----------------
+ The file contains several somewhat independent sections.
+
+ The first section contains a few lines of global info.
+ Examples: file version id, #clock types in the kernel,
+ #nsecs since boot.
+
+ The second section is organized per-cpu. Each cpu subsection
+ in turn contains several sub-subsections which are, in order
+ of appearance:
+
+ The contents of the data structures associated with each
+ clock (CLOCK_REALTIME, CLOCK_MONOTONIC, etc) on this cpu.
+ Examples: base, index, resolution, get_timer, offset.
+ Under each of these clocks is, in turn, a display of all
+ the active high resolution timers queued to that clock.
+ Example: all lines beginning with '#'.
+
+ The contents of per-cpu timer data fields not associated
+ with a particular clock type (ie, shared by both clocks or
+ not associated with any clock). Examples: expires_next,
+ hres_active, nr_event, nohz_mode, all things idle_*,
+ tick_stopped, last_jiffies, next_jiffies.
+
+ A display of low resolution (ie, jiffie) timer wheel
+ data. Examples: base, running_timer, timer_jiffies.
+ Also under this section is a display, one per line, of
+ each active jiffie timer queued to this cpu. Examples:
+ All lines under an 'active jiffie timers' section that
+ begin with a number.
+
+ The third and final section describes each 'tick device'
+ known to the kernel. A tick device is a piece of hardware
+ capable of generating periodic and/or one shot interrupts
+ under software control, and thus is capable of generating
+ the interrupts needed to expire the various active timers at
+ their given expiration times. Examples: hpet, pit, lapic.
+
+ Hires Timer Layout
+ ------------------
+ High resolution timers are displayed on lines that begin
+ with a '#' and always appear under one of the many sections
+ labeled 'active timers'. There is an 'active timers'
+ section for every cpu and every clock.
+
+ The fields of a hrtimer, spread out over two lines, are:
+
+ line 1 fields:
+ 1 - unique hrtimer index (#0, #1, #2, etc)
+ 2 - kernel address of the hrtimer data structure
+ in question
+ 3 - function to be called when timer expires
+ 4 - timer state (eg, S:01), avail states, OR-able:
+ 0 - inactive
+ 1 - enqueued
+ 2 - callback
+ 4 - pending
+ 8 - migrate
+ 5 - function which created the timer
+ 6 - process name & pid which created the timer
+
+ line 2 fields:
+ 1 - absolute expiration time, range format (start - end)
+ 2 - relative expiration time, range format (start - end)
+
+ Lowres Timer Layout
+ -------------------
+ Low resolution timers are displayed one-per-line under
+ sections labeled 'active jiffie timers'. There is one such
+ section per cpu. A lowres timer has the following fields:
+
+ 1 - #jiffies remaining until timer expires
+ 2 - function to be called on expiration
+ 3 - data value to be given to the above function on
+ expiration
+ 4 - function which created this timer
+ 5 - name & pid of the process that created this timer

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