[PATCH] net: tulip: use mod_timer() in t21142_lnk_change()

From: Magnus Lindholm

Date: Fri Sep 04 2026 - 09:13:17 EST


t21142_lnk_change() is called from tulip_interrupt(), i.e. in hardirq
context. On a link-fail or NWay renegotiation event it calls
timer_delete_sync(&tp->timer) before rescheduling the timer, which is
exactly what

WARN_ON(in_hardirq() && !(timer->flags & TIMER_IRQSAFE));

in __timer_delete_sync() exists to catch, since tp->timer is not
TIMER_IRQSAFE:

WARNING: kernel/time/timer.c:1611 at __timer_delete_sync+0x13c/0x150
...
[<...>] t21142_lnk_change+...
[<...>] tulip_interrupt+...

This isn't teardown, it's just rescheduling the media timer, which is
exactly what mod_timer() is for. mod_timer(timer, expires) is
documented as equivalent to timer_delete(); timer->expires = expires;
add_timer(), and as the only safe way to change the timeout when a
timer has multiple unserialized concurrent users. That is the case
here: t21142_media_task(), scheduled by this same timer's callback,
already ends with its own mod_timer() call on tp->timer, with a
comment noting it synchronizes against add_timer() calls from
interrupts. Using mod_timer() in t21142_lnk_change() as well, instead
of an unprotected timer_delete()+add_timer() pair, matches that
existing concurrency model instead of racing against it.

Update the comment in tulip_interrupt() accordingly. pnic2_lnk_change()
still calls timer_delete_sync() from the same hardirq path, but its timer
callback re-arms the timer directly with mod_timer(), so fixing that path
requires separate consideration of the callback/reschedule race.

The warning was reproduced during a link-state change at boot on an
Alpha UP2000+ running v7.3-rc1 with:

0001:02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Digital Equipment Corporation
DECchip 21142/43 (rev 30)

Fixes: 1da177e4c3f4 ("Linux-2.6.12-rc2")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Magnus Lindholm <linmag7@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/21142.c | 8 ++------
drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/interrupt.c | 5 ++---
2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/21142.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/21142.c
index 76767dec216d..da701f325783 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/21142.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/21142.c
@@ -216,20 +216,16 @@ void t21142_lnk_change(struct net_device *dev, int csr5)
(csr12 & 2) == 2) ||
(tp->nway && (csr5 & (TPLnkFail)))) {
/* Link blew? Maybe restart NWay. */
- timer_delete_sync(&tp->timer);
t21142_start_nway(dev);
- tp->timer.expires = RUN_AT(3*HZ);
- add_timer(&tp->timer);
+ mod_timer(&tp->timer, RUN_AT(3 * HZ));
} else if (dev->if_port == 3 || dev->if_port == 5) {
if (tulip_debug > 1)
dev_info(&dev->dev, "21143 %s link beat %s\n",
medianame[dev->if_port],
(csr12 & 2) ? "failed" : "good");
if ((csr12 & 2) && ! tp->medialock) {
- timer_delete_sync(&tp->timer);
t21142_start_nway(dev);
- tp->timer.expires = RUN_AT(3*HZ);
- add_timer(&tp->timer);
+ mod_timer(&tp->timer, RUN_AT(3 * HZ));
} else if (dev->if_port == 5)
iowrite32(csr14 & ~0x080, ioaddr + CSR14);
} else if (dev->if_port == 0 || dev->if_port == 4) {
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/interrupt.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/interrupt.c
index 0a12cb9b3ba7..6ed4b68ad86c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/interrupt.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/dec/tulip/interrupt.c
@@ -698,9 +698,8 @@ irqreturn_t tulip_interrupt(int irq, void *dev_instance)
dev->stats.rx_errors++;
tulip_start_rxtx(tp);
}
- /*
- * NB: t21142_lnk_change() does a timer_delete_sync(), so be careful
- * if this call is ever done under the spinlock
+ /* NB: pnic2_lnk_change() does a timer_delete_sync(), so be careful
+ * if this call is ever done under the spinlock.
*/
if (csr5 & (TPLnkPass | TPLnkFail | 0x08000000)) {
if (tp->link_change)
--
2.53.0