Re: [PATCH wpan-next v2 0/2] ieee802154: Beaconing support

[Miquel Raynal <miquel.raynal@bootlin.com>]

Hi Alexander,

> > > > > Changes in v2:
> > > > > * Clearly state in the commit log llsec is not supported yet.
> > > > > * Do not use mlme transmission helpers because we don't really need to
> > > > >   stop the queue when sending a beacon, as we don't expect any feedback
> > > > >   from the PHY nor from the peers. However, we don't want to go through
> > > > >   the whole net stack either, so we bypass it calling the subif helper
> > > > >   directly.
> > > > >  
> > >
> > > moment, we use the mlme helpers to stop tx  
> >
> > No, we no longer use the mlme helpers to stop tx when sending beacons
> > (but true MLME transmissions, we ack handling and return codes will be
> > used for other purposes).
> >  
> 
> then we run into an issue overwriting the framebuffer while the normal
> transmit path is active?

Crap, yes you're right. That's not gonna work.

The net core acquires HARD_TX_LOCK() to avoid these issues and we are
no bypassing the net core without taking care of the proper frame
transmissions either (which would have worked with mlme_tx_one()). So I
guess there are two options:

* Either we deal with the extra penalty of stopping the queue and
  waiting for the beacon to be transmitted with an mlme_tx_one() call,
  as proposed initially.

* Or we hardcode our own "net" transmit helper, something like:

mac802154_fast_mlme_tx() {
	struct net_device *dev = skb->dev;
	struct netdev_queue *txq;

	txq = netdev_core_pick_tx(dev, skb, NULL);
	cpu = smp_processor_id();
	HARD_TX_LOCK(dev, txq, cpu);
	if (!netif_xmit_frozen_or_drv_stopped(txq))
		netdev_start_xmit(skb, dev, txq, 0);
	HARD_TX_UNLOCK(dev, txq);
}

Note1: this is very close to generic_xdp_tx() which tries to achieve the
same goal: sending packets, bypassing qdisc et al. I don't know whether
it makes sense to define it under mac802154/tx.c or core/dev.c and give
it another name, like generic_tx() or whatever would be more
appropriate. Or even adapting generic_xdp_tx() to make it look more
generic and use that function instead (without the xdp struct pointer).

Note2: I am wondering if it makes sense to disable bh here as well?

Once we settle, I send a patch.

Thanks,
Miquèl