Re: [PATCH v2] x86: Use xorl %0,%0 in __get_user_asm

From: Al Viro
Date: Thu Aug 27 2020 - 16:14:30 EST


On Thu, Aug 27, 2020 at 08:09:04PM +0200, Uros Bizjak wrote:
> xorl %0,%0 is equivalent to xorq %0,%0 as both will zero the
> entire register. Use xorl %0,%0 for all operand sizes to avoid
> REX prefix byte when legacy registers are used and to avoid size
> prefix byte when 16bit registers are used.
>
> Zeroing the full register is OK in this use case. xorl %0,%0 also
> breaks register dependency chains, avoiding potential partial
> register stalls with 8 and 16bit operands.

No objections, but talking about stalls is more than slightly
ridiculous - we'd just taken a #PF, failed there, flipped
pt_regs %rip to fixup section, returned from fault and are
about to fail whatever syscall that had been; a stall here
is really not an issue...