Re: Prototype patch for Linux-kernel memory model

From: Paul E. McKenney
Date: Mon Nov 13 2017 - 23:52:32 EST


On Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 03:09:11PM -0500, Alan Stern wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Nov 2017, Paul E. McKenney wrote:
>
> > Hello!
> >
> > Please see below for the git commit corresponding to a prototype
> > patch for the Linux-kernel memory model. This addresses the feedback
> > we got at Linux Plumbers Conference:
> >
> > 1. There is a Documentation/recipes.txt file giving known-good
> > useful examples, along with corresponding litmus tests.
> >
> > 2. There is a Documentation/explanation.txt file giving an
> > overview of the memory model and its workings.
> >
> > 3. There is a Documentation/references.txt file giving some
> > background reading.
> >
> > I believe that we have something that will be extremely useful and
> > valuable to novices and experts alike.
> >
> > Please note that this version of the memory model does not yet reflect
> > the changes that make DEC Alpha no longer be a special case because
> > those changes have not yet hit mainline. The model will be updated
> > once this happens.
> >
> > Thoughts?
>
> In references.txt, should we add URLs to non-paywalled PDFs? Or should
> we assume that our readers are capable of using Google to find these
> things on their own?
>
> There are a few places where some comments should be resolved/removed
> before submission:
>
> Documentation/references.txt line 98:
> Uncategorized stuff (any of this really needed?)
>
> litmus-tests/README line 92:
> [ Shouldn't we have one with smp_wmb() in the process with both
> writes, and smp_mb() in the other process. ]

I updated these, recategorizing the "Uncategorized stuff" and removing
the note from litmus-tests/README -- we don't seem to use R in recipes
anyway.

> In the files defining the memory model, we should replace the GPL
> boilerplate with SPDX headers.

We can!

I pushed both commits.

Thanx, Paul