diff --git a/Documentation/arm/kernel_user_helpers.txt b/Documentation/arm/kernel_user_helpers.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..0c33f72d1873 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/arm/kernel_user_helpers.txt @@ -0,0 +1,203 @@ +Kernel-provided User Helpers +============================ + +These are segment of kernel provided user code reachable from user space +at a fixed address in kernel memory. This is used to provide user space +with some operations which require kernel help because of unimplemented +native feature and/or instructions in many ARM CPUs. The idea is for this +code to be executed directly in user mode for best efficiency but which is +too intimate with the kernel counter part to be left to user libraries. +In fact this code might even differ from one CPU to another depending on +the available instruction set, or whether it is a SMP systems. In other +words, the kernel reserves the right to change this code as needed without +warning. Only the entry points and their results as documented here are +guaranteed to be stable. + +This is different from (but doesn't preclude) a full blown VDSO +implementation, however a VDSO would prevent some assembly tricks with +constants that allows for efficient branching to those code segments. And +since those code segments only use a few cycles before returning to user +code, the overhead of a VDSO indirect far call would add a measurable +overhead to such minimalistic operations. + +User space is expected to bypass those helpers and implement those things +inline (either in the code emitted directly by the compiler, or part of +the implementation of a library call) when optimizing for a recent enough +processor that has the necessary native support, but only if resulting +binaries are already to be incompatible with earlier ARM processors due to +useage of similar native instructions for other things. In other words +don't make binaries unable to run on earlier processors just for the sake +of not using these kernel helpers if your compiled code is not going to +use new instructions for other purpose. + +New helpers may be added over time, so an older kernel may be missing some +helpers present in a newer kernel. For this reason, programs must check +the value of __kuser_helper_version (see below) before assuming that it is +safe to call any particular helper. This check should ideally be +performed only once at process startup time, and execution aborted early +if the required helpers are not provided by the kernel version that +process is running on. + +kuser_helper_version +-------------------- + +Location: 0xffff0ffc + +Reference declaration: + + extern int32_t __kuser_helper_version; + +Definition: + + This field contains the number of helpers being implemented by the + running kernel. User space may read this to determine the availability + of a particular helper. + +Usage example: + +#define __kuser_helper_version (*(int32_t *)0xffff0ffc) + +void check_kuser_version(void) +{ + if (__kuser_helper_version < 2) { + fprintf(stderr, "can't do atomic operations, kernel too old\n"); + abort(); + } +} + +Notes: + + User space may assume that the value of this field never changes + during the lifetime of any single process. This means that this + field can be read once during the initialisation of a library or + startup phase of a program. + +kuser_get_tls +------------- + +Location: 0xffff0fe0 + +Reference prototype: + + void * __kuser_get_tls(void); + +Input: + + lr = return address + +Output: + + r0 = TLS value + +Clobbered registers: + + none + +Definition: + + Get the TLS value as previously set via the __ARM_NR_set_tls syscall. + +Usage example: + +typedef void * (__kuser_get_tls_t)(void); +#define __kuser_get_tls (*(__kuser_get_tls_t *)0xffff0fe0) + +void foo() +{ + void *tls = __kuser_get_tls(); + printf("TLS = %p\n", tls); +} + +Notes: + + - Valid only if __kuser_helper_version >= 1 (from kernel version 2.6.12). + +kuser_cmpxchg +------------- + +Location: 0xffff0fc0 + +Reference prototype: + + int __kuser_cmpxchg(int32_t oldval, int32_t newval, volatile int32_t *ptr); + +Input: + + r0 = oldval + r1 = newval + r2 = ptr + lr = return address + +Output: + + r0 = success code (zero or non-zero) + C flag = set if r0 == 0, clear if r0 != 0 + +Clobbered registers: + + r3, ip, flags + +Definition: + + Atomically store newval in *ptr only if *ptr is equal to oldval. + Return zero if *ptr was changed or non-zero if no exchange happened. + The C flag is also set if *ptr was changed to allow for assembly + optimization in the calling code. + +Usage example: + +typedef int (__kuser_cmpxchg_t)(int oldval, int newval, volatile int *ptr); +#define __kuser_cmpxchg (*(__kuser_cmpxchg_t *)0xffff0fc0) + +int atomic_add(volatile int *ptr, int val) +{ + int old, new; + + do { + old = *ptr; + new = old + val; + } while(__kuser_cmpxchg(old, new, ptr)); + + return new; +} + +Notes: + + - This routine already includes memory barriers as needed. + + - Valid only if __kuser_helper_version >= 2 (from kernel version 2.6.12). + +kuser_memory_barrier +-------------------- + +Location: 0xffff0fa0 + +Reference prototype: + + void __kuser_memory_barrier(void); + +Input: + + lr = return address + +Output: + + none + +Clobbered registers: + + none + +Definition: + + Apply any needed memory barrier to preserve consistency with data modified + manually and __kuser_cmpxchg usage. + +Usage example: + +typedef void (__kuser_dmb_t)(void); +#define __kuser_dmb (*(__kuser_dmb_t *)0xffff0fa0) + +Notes: + + - Valid only if __kuser_helper_version >= 3 (from kernel version 2.6.15). diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/entry-armv.S b/arch/arm/kernel/entry-armv.S index e8d885676807..63f7907c4c3c 100644 --- a/arch/arm/kernel/entry-armv.S +++ b/arch/arm/kernel/entry-armv.S @@ -754,31 +754,12 @@ ENDPROC(__switch_to) /* * User helpers. * - * These are segment of kernel provided user code reachable from user space - * at a fixed address in kernel memory. This is used to provide user space - * with some operations which require kernel help because of unimplemented - * native feature and/or instructions in many ARM CPUs. The idea is for - * this code to be executed directly in user mode for best efficiency but - * which is too intimate with the kernel counter part to be left to user - * libraries. In fact this code might even differ from one CPU to another - * depending on the available instruction set and restrictions like on - * SMP systems. In other words, the kernel reserves the right to change - * this code as needed without warning. Only the entry points and their - * results are guaranteed to be stable. - * * Each segment is 32-byte aligned and will be moved to the top of the high * vector page. New segments (if ever needed) must be added in front of * existing ones. This mechanism should be used only for things that are * really small and justified, and not be abused freely. * - * User space is expected to implement those things inline when optimizing - * for a processor that has the necessary native support, but only if such - * resulting binaries are already to be incompatible with earlier ARM - * processors due to the use of unsupported instructions other than what - * is provided here. In other words don't make binaries unable to run on - * earlier processors just for the sake of not using these kernel helpers - * if your compiled code is not going to use the new instructions for other - * purpose. + * See Documentation/arm/kernel_user_helpers.txt for formal definitions. */ THUMB( .arm ) @@ -794,98 +775,12 @@ ENDPROC(__switch_to) .globl __kuser_helper_start __kuser_helper_start: -/* - * Reference prototype: - * - * void __kernel_memory_barrier(void) - * - * Input: - * - * lr = return address - * - * Output: - * - * none - * - * Clobbered: - * - * none - * - * Definition and user space usage example: - * - * typedef void (__kernel_dmb_t)(void); - * #define __kernel_dmb (*(__kernel_dmb_t *)0xffff0fa0) - * - * Apply any needed memory barrier to preserve consistency with data modified - * manually and __kuser_cmpxchg usage. - * - * This could be used as follows: - * - * #define __kernel_dmb() \ - * asm volatile ( "mov r0, #0xffff0fff; mov lr, pc; sub pc, r0, #95" \ - * : : : "r0", "lr","cc" ) - */ - __kuser_memory_barrier: @ 0xffff0fa0 smp_dmb arm usr_ret lr .align 5 -/* - * Reference prototype: - * - * int __kernel_cmpxchg(int oldval, int newval, int *ptr) - * - * Input: - * - * r0 = oldval - * r1 = newval - * r2 = ptr - * lr = return address - * - * Output: - * - * r0 = returned value (zero or non-zero) - * C flag = set if r0 == 0, clear if r0 != 0 - * - * Clobbered: - * - * r3, ip, flags - * - * Definition and user space usage example: - * - * typedef int (__kernel_cmpxchg_t)(int oldval, int newval, int *ptr); - * #define __kernel_cmpxchg (*(__kernel_cmpxchg_t *)0xffff0fc0) - * - * Atomically store newval in *ptr if *ptr is equal to oldval for user space. - * Return zero if *ptr was changed or non-zero if no exchange happened. - * The C flag is also set if *ptr was changed to allow for assembly - * optimization in the calling code. - * - * Notes: - * - * - This routine already includes memory barriers as needed. - * - * For example, a user space atomic_add implementation could look like this: - * - * #define atomic_add(ptr, val) \ - * ({ register unsigned int *__ptr asm("r2") = (ptr); \ - * register unsigned int __result asm("r1"); \ - * asm volatile ( \ - * "1: @ atomic_add\n\t" \ - * "ldr r0, [r2]\n\t" \ - * "mov r3, #0xffff0fff\n\t" \ - * "add lr, pc, #4\n\t" \ - * "add r1, r0, %2\n\t" \ - * "add pc, r3, #(0xffff0fc0 - 0xffff0fff)\n\t" \ - * "bcc 1b" \ - * : "=&r" (__result) \ - * : "r" (__ptr), "rIL" (val) \ - * : "r0","r3","ip","lr","cc","memory" ); \ - * __result; }) - */ - __kuser_cmpxchg: @ 0xffff0fc0 #if defined(CONFIG_NEEDS_SYSCALL_FOR_CMPXCHG) @@ -959,39 +854,6 @@ kuser_cmpxchg_fixup: .align 5 -/* - * Reference prototype: - * - * int __kernel_get_tls(void) - * - * Input: - * - * lr = return address - * - * Output: - * - * r0 = TLS value - * - * Clobbered: - * - * none - * - * Definition and user space usage example: - * - * typedef int (__kernel_get_tls_t)(void); - * #define __kernel_get_tls (*(__kernel_get_tls_t *)0xffff0fe0) - * - * Get the TLS value as previously set via the __ARM_NR_set_tls syscall. - * - * This could be used as follows: - * - * #define __kernel_get_tls() \ - * ({ register unsigned int __val asm("r0"); \ - * asm( "mov r0, #0xffff0fff; mov lr, pc; sub pc, r0, #31" \ - * : "=r" (__val) : : "lr","cc" ); \ - * __val; }) - */ - __kuser_get_tls: @ 0xffff0fe0 ldr r0, [pc, #(16 - 8)] @ read TLS, set in kuser_get_tls_init usr_ret lr @@ -1000,19 +862,6 @@ __kuser_get_tls: @ 0xffff0fe0 .word 0 @ 0xffff0ff0 software TLS value, then .endr @ pad up to __kuser_helper_version -/* - * Reference declaration: - * - * extern unsigned int __kernel_helper_version; - * - * Definition and user space usage example: - * - * #define __kernel_helper_version (*(unsigned int *)0xffff0ffc) - * - * User space may read this to determine the curent number of helpers - * available. - */ - __kuser_helper_version: @ 0xffff0ffc .word ((__kuser_helper_end - __kuser_helper_start) >> 5)