RE: [RFC PATCH v2 32/32] x86/fred: disable FRED by default in its early stage

From: Li, Xin3
Date: Fri Jan 06 2023 - 18:00:27 EST


> >Disable FRED by default in its early stage.
> >
> >To enable FRED, a new kernel command line option "fred" needs to be added.
> >
> >Signed-off-by: Xin Li <xin3.li@xxxxxxxxx>
> >---
> > Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt | 4 ++++
> > arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c | 3 +++
> > 2 files changed, 7 insertions(+)
> >
> >diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
> >b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
> >index 42af9ca0127e..0bc76d926dd4 100644
> >--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
> >+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
> >@@ -1506,6 +1506,10 @@
> > Warning: use of this parameter will taint the kernel
> > and may cause unknown problems.
> >
> >+ fred
> >+ Forcefully enable flexible return and event delivery,
> >+ which is otherwise disabled by default.
> >+
> > ftrace=[tracer]
> > [FTRACE] will set and start the specified tracer
> > as early as possible in order to facilitate early diff --git
> >a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c index
> >5de68356fe62..1a160337ad41 100644
> >--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c
> >+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/common.c
> >@@ -1434,6 +1434,9 @@ static void __init cpu_parse_early_param(void)
> > char *argptr = arg, *opt;
> > int arglen, taint = 0;
> >
> >+ if (!cmdline_find_option_bool(boot_command_line, "fred"))
> >+ setup_clear_cpu_cap(X86_FEATURE_FRED);
> >+
> > #ifdef CONFIG_X86_32
> > if (cmdline_find_option_bool(boot_command_line, "no387")) #ifdef
> > CONFIG_MATH_EMULATION
>
> Specifically, the intent is to enable it by default once hardware is widely available.
> This allows e.g. distros to compile in the support for opt-in field testing before
> throwing the switch.
>
> The motivation for this comes from the SMAP experience where the code was
> functional and correct when merged, but a change elsewhere in the kernel code
> base broke it during the intervening period.

Thanks for the clarification.