Re: [PATCH] Fix int1 recursion with unregistered breakpoints

From: H. Peter Anvin
Date: Mon Dec 14 2015 - 16:40:30 EST


On 12/14/15 13:03, Jeff Merkey wrote:
> Please consider the attached patch.
>
> I have reviewed all the code that touches this patch and have
> determined it will function and support all of the software that
> depends on this handler properly. I have compiled and tested this
> patch with a test harness that tests the robustness of the linux
> breakpoint API and handlers in the following ways:
>
> 1. Setting multiple conditional breakpoints through
> arch_install_hw_breakpoint API across four processors to test the rate
> at which the interface can handle breakpoint exceptions
>
> 2. Setting unregistered breakpoints to test the handlers robustness
> in dealing with error handling conditions and errant or spurious
> hardware conditions and to simulate actual "lazy debug register
> switching" (which does not work BTW) with null bp handlers to test the
> robustness of the handlers.
>
> 3. Clearing and setting breakpoints across multiple processors then
> triggering concurrent exceptions in both interrupt and process
> contexts.
>
> This patch improves robustness in several ways in the linux kernel:
>
> 1. Corrects bug in handling unregistered breakpoints.
>
> 2. Provides hardware check of dr7 to determine source of breakpoint
> if OS cannot ascertain the int1 source from its own state and
> variables.
>
> 3. Actually allows "lazy debug register switching" to function, which
> until recently has apparently never been actually seen on live
> hardware or actually tested.
>

This is all fine and good, but you are missing one of the most important
parts of a patch: a patch description, describing in detail the problem
that it solves and why. This description needs to be comprehensible not
just for people already initiated but for someone doing code archaeology
a decade from now.

Thanks,

-hpa


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