Re: [PATCH 4/4] x86/speculation: Add PSF mitigation kernel parameters

From: Bandan Das
Date: Wed Apr 21 2021 - 14:34:03 EST


Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> Hi,
>
> On 4/21/21 2:01 AM, Ramakrishna Saripalli wrote:
>> From: Ramakrishna Saripalli <rk.saripalli@xxxxxxx>
>>
>> PSF mitigation introduces a new kernel parameter called
>> predict_store_fwd.
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Ramakrishna Saripalli<rk.saripalli@xxxxxxx>
>> ---
>> Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt | 5 +++++
>> 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)
>>
>> diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
>> index 04545725f187..58f6bd02385b 100644
>> --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
>> +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
>> @@ -3940,6 +3940,11 @@
>> Format: {"off"}
>> Disable Hardware Transactional Memory
>>
>> + predict_store_fwd [X86] This option controls PSF mitigation
>> + off - Turns on PSF mitigation.
>> + on - Turns off PSF mitigation.
>> + default : on.
>
> This should be formatted more like:
>
> + predict_store_fwd= [X86] This option controls PSF mitigation
> + off - Turns on PSF mitigation.
> + on - Turns off PSF mitigation.
> + default: on.
>
> But why does "off" turn it on and "on" turn it off?
>
Maybe, rename the parameter to something like psfd_disable, then off -> disables mitigation and on -> enables it.
Or just rewriting this to off -> turns off predictive store forwarding is probably ok too.

Bandan

>
>> +
>> preempt= [KNL]
>> Select preemption mode if you have CONFIG_PREEMPT_DYNAMIC
>> none - Limited to cond_resched() calls
>>
>
> thanks.