Re: [PATCH -tip 0/4] Text edit lock and atomic text_poke()

[Steven Rostedt]

On Fri, 6 Mar 2009, Mathieu Desnoyers wrote:

> * Masami Hiramatsu (mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx) wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > Here is a series of patches which introduce text_mutex for protecting
> > editing kernel text from each other subsystems, and make text_poke()
> > atomic by using fixmap.
> > 
> > BTW,
> > 
> > > Paravirt and alternatives are always done when SMP is inactive, so there is no
> > > need to use locks.
> > 
> > Mathieu, I'm not sure that means. alternatives will be called from module
> > init code and other place where the system has already been running multi-
> > -threads(and they use smp_alt mutex). So, is it possible that those functions
> > will sleep or yield to another process?
> > 
> 
> As I remember, module code uses text_poke_early when modifying the
> module text _before_ the module is made available to the rest of the
> kernel. Therefore, it behaves as if it was in a UP system, and that's
> ok, because only one CPU has to touch the text. Therefore, there is no
> need to use text_poke, and therefore no need to take the text mutex.
> 
> Or maybe has it changed ? But I doubt so.
> 

That is correct. Currently ftrace simply does a probe_kernel_write on 
module code to convert the calls to mcount into nops. This is done before 
the module is available, and does not require stop_machine nor break 
points. Since modules are not included in the DEBUG_RODATA there's no need 
to play games with the page tables either.

-- Steve

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