[PATCH] sched_ext: Fix timer pinning and return value in scx_central

From: Wanwu Li

Date: Thu Aug 27 2026 - 04:08:02 EST


central_timerfn() re-arms the timer with a hardcoded
BPF_F_TIMER_CPU_PIN flag and ignores the return value, defeating
central_init()'s -EINVAL fallback for kernels without the flag
(<6.7): on such kernels the first tick kills the timer permanently
with no diagnostic. Honor timer_pinned and check the return like
the init path does.

Fixes: 22a920209ab6 ("sched_ext: Implement tickless support")
Signed-off-by: Wanwu Li <liwanwu@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
diff --git a/tools/sched_ext/scx_central.bpf.c b/tools/sched_ext/scx_central.bpf.c
index 64dd60b3e922..65dae9e45400 100644
--- a/tools/sched_ext/scx_central.bpf.c
+++ b/tools/sched_ext/scx_central.bpf.c
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ static int central_timerfn(void *map, int *key, struct bpf_timer *timer)
u64 now = scx_bpf_now();
u64 nr_to_kick = nr_queued;
s32 i, curr_cpu;
+ int ret;

curr_cpu = bpf_get_smp_processor_id();
if (timer_pinned && (curr_cpu != central_cpu)) {
@@ -332,7 +333,10 @@ static int central_timerfn(void *map, int *key, struct bpf_timer *timer)
scx_bpf_kick_cpu(cpu, SCX_KICK_PREEMPT);
}

- bpf_timer_start(timer, TIMER_INTERVAL_NS, BPF_F_TIMER_CPU_PIN);
+ ret = bpf_timer_start(timer, TIMER_INTERVAL_NS,
+ timer_pinned ? BPF_F_TIMER_CPU_PIN : 0);
+ if (ret)
+ scx_bpf_error("bpf_timer_start failed (%d)", ret);
__sync_fetch_and_add(&nr_timers, 1);
return 0;
}