Re: [RFC/PATCH] drm/rockchip: don't wait for vblank if fb hasn't changed

[Daniel Vetter]

On Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 04:40:38PM +0000, John Keeping wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Jan 2016 17:21:56 +0100, Daniel Vetter wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 03:55:29PM +0000, John Keeping wrote:
> > > On Wed, 13 Jan 2016 16:40:05 +0100, Daniel Vetter wrote:
> > >   
> > > > On Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 02:34:25PM +0000, John Keeping wrote:  
> > > > > On Wed, 13 Jan 2016 15:23:20 +0100, Daniel Vetter wrote:
> > > > >     
> > > > > > On Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 12:53:34PM +0000, John Keeping wrote:    
> > > > > > > As commented in drm_atomic_helper_wait_for_vblanks(), userspace
> > > > > > > relies on cursor ioctls being unsynced.  Converting the rockchip
> > > > > > > driver to atomic has significantly impacted cursor performance by
> > > > > > > making every cursor update wait for vblank.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > By skipping the vblank sync when the framebuffer has not changed
> > > > > > > (as is done in drm_atomic_helper_wait_for_vblanks()) we can avoid
> > > > > > > this for the common case of moving the cursor and only need to
> > > > > > > delay the cursor ioctl when the cursor icon changes.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I originally inserted a check on legacy_cursor_update as well, but
> > > > > > > that caused a storm of iommu page faults.  I didn't investigate the
> > > > > > > cause of those since this change gives enough of a performance
> > > > > > > improvement for my use case.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > This is RFC because of that and because the framebuffer_changed()
> > > > > > > function is copied from drm_atomic_helper.c as a quick way to test
> > > > > > > the result.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Signed-off-by: John Keeping <john@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > > > > ---
> > > > > > >  drivers/gpu/drm/rockchip/rockchip_drm_fb.c | 27
> > > > > > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++-- 1 file changed, 25 insertions(+), 2
> > > > > > > deletions(-)
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/rockchip/rockchip_drm_fb.c
> > > > > > > b/drivers/gpu/drm/rockchip/rockchip_drm_fb.c index f784488..8fd9821
> > > > > > > 100644 --- a/drivers/gpu/drm/rockchip/rockchip_drm_fb.c
> > > > > > > +++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/rockchip/rockchip_drm_fb.c
> > > > > > > @@ -177,8 +177,28 @@ static void
> > > > > > > rockchip_crtc_wait_for_update(struct drm_crtc *crtc)
> > > > > > > crtc_funcs->wait_for_update(crtc); }
> > > > > > >  
> > > > > > > +static bool framebuffer_changed(struct drm_device *dev,
> > > > > > > +				struct drm_atomic_state *old_state,
> > > > > > > +				struct drm_crtc *crtc)
> > > > > > > +{
> > > > > > > +	struct drm_plane *plane;
> > > > > > > +	struct drm_plane_state *old_plane_state;
> > > > > > > +	int i;
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +	for_each_plane_in_state(old_state, plane, old_plane_state,
> > > > > > > i) {
> > > > > > > +		if (plane->state->crtc != crtc &&
> > > > > > > +		    old_plane_state->crtc != crtc)
> > > > > > > +			continue;
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +		if (plane->state->fb != old_plane_state->fb)
> > > > > > > +			return true;
> > > > > > > +	}
> > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > +	return false;
> > > > > > > +}      
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Please don't hand-roll logic that affects semantics like this. Instead
> > > > > > please use drm_atomic_helper_wait_for_vblanks(), which should do this
> > > > > > correctly for you.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > If that's not the case then we need to improve the generic helper, or
> > > > > > figure out what's different with rockhip.    
> > > > > 
> > > > > According to commit 63ebb9f (drm/rockchip: Convert to support atomic
> > > > > API) it's because rockchip doesn't have a hardware vblank counter.
> > > > > 
> > > > > I'm not entirely clear on why this prevents the use of
> > > > > drm_atomic_helper_wait_for_vblanks().    
> > > > 
> > > > Hm, that commit isn't terribly helpful. If that's really needed then imo I
> > > > think we should extract a "drm_atomic_helper_plane_needs_vblank_wait()"
> > > > helper that's used by both. But since rockchip does vblank_get/put calls
> > > > I'd hope vblanks actually work correctly. And then the helper should work
> > > > too.  
> > > 
> > > I tried switching the call to rockchip_crtc_wait_for_update() to
> > > drm_atomic_helper_wait_for_vblanks() and it works fine until I switch
> > > the buffer associated with a cursor, at which point I get iommu page
> > > faults, presumably because the GEM buffer is unreferenced too early.
> > > 
> > > AFAICT the buffer will be released via drm_atomic_state_free()
> > > unconditionally, but I suspect I'm missing something since that would
> > > mean every driver would hit a similar problem.  
> > 
> > Yeah, with the helper we always skip, which means when the cursor bo
> > changes you indeed unmap too early. So can't even share the overall
> > condition, but we could definitely share the little framebuffer_changed
> > helper.
> 
> That leaves me with the question: why do other atomic drivers work?
> 
> If drm_atomic_helper_wait_for_vblanks() skipping vblanks results in the
> cursor bo being unmapped too early for rockchip, why is it not unmapped
> too early for all of the other drivers using that helper?

It's unmapped too early for everyone, it's just that normally that doesn't
result in a fireworks show. What we maybe could/should do is do the
unmapping asynchronously, but that runs into the overall "current atomic
helpers don't do async yet" problem. Might be a good point to start fixing
this up though.
-Daniel
-- 
Daniel Vetter
Software Engineer, Intel Corporation
http://blog.ffwll.ch