Re: 2.6.17-rc6-mm1

[Gerd Hoffmann <kraxel@suse.de>]

Andi Kleen wrote:
> I don't see an explicit check in alternatives.c for the main kernel
> vs init sections and with CPU hotplug the alternatives can be applied
> arbitarily after the system has booted.  So it would just stomp
> over the init text pages which are used for something else now.

very close to the end of the file:

  alternatives_smp_module_add(NULL, "core kernel",
                              __smp_locks, __smp_locks_end,
                              _text, _etext);

The core kernel is just a "special" module (where we keep track of the
.text section boundaries too), and LOCKs outside the _text -> _etext
range are never ever patched.

cheers,

  Gerd

-- 
Gerd Hoffmann <kraxel@suse.de>
http://www.suse.de/~kraxel/julika-dora.jpeg