Re: [PATCH v4 0/7] x86: BSP or CPU0 online/offline

From: Ingo Molnar
Date: Thu Dec 15 2011 - 13:59:09 EST



* Yu, Fenghua <fenghua.yu@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> > We need a debug feature for this:
> > CONFIG_DEBUG_BOOT_CPU_OFF=y or such (disabled by default):
> > this feature would offline the boot CPU as soon as possible,
> > and boot up userspace with the boot CPU offlined.
>
> I would think the earliest time when CPU0 can be offline is
> right after do_initcalls() because do_initcalls() installs
> some cpu hotplug notifier.
>
> But this will change generic code (e.g. add arch hook in
> init/main.c or add a new initcall level which is after level
> 7s).
>
> Another way is to offline CPU0 (or any CPU) in /etc/rc.local.
> By this way, we don't change kernel. And this is safe, but a
> bit later than in kernel.
>
> Any comment?

I think we should try to do this in the kernel, to keep the
debug feature independent of user-space code. This also helps
us clean init code from boot CPU assumptions.

Not sure we need a new initlevel - why not just offline the CPU?
I suspect the cpu hotplug notifier installation that is done in
do_initcalls() should be moved earlier so that the boot CPU can
be offlined as early as a secondary CPU is up and running.

Thanks,

Ingo
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