Re: [PATCH] driver core: Define dev_err_probe() as __cold

[Greg KH <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>]

On Sat, Aug 06, 2022 at 08:49:23AM +0200, Christophe JAILLET wrote:
> Give a hint to the compiler that dev_err_probe() is used for error
> handling. So calling paths are unlikely.
> 
> >From gcc documentation:
> 	The paths leading to calls of cold functions within code are marked
> 	as unlikely by the branch prediction mechanism.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Christophe JAILLET <christophe.jaillet@wanadoo.fr>
> ---
>  include/linux/device.h | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/include/linux/device.h b/include/linux/device.h
> index 424b55df0272..4ac16bde9bf7 100644
> --- a/include/linux/device.h
> +++ b/include/linux/device.h
> @@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ void device_links_supplier_sync_state_pause(void);
>  void device_links_supplier_sync_state_resume(void);
>  
>  extern __printf(3, 4)
> -int dev_err_probe(const struct device *dev, int err, const char *fmt, ...);
> +int __cold dev_err_probe(const struct device *dev, int err, const char *fmt, ...);

As the probe() path is by default "slow", does this actually help
anything?  I never recommend using any sort of manual likely/unlikely
hints unless the results can be seen, otherwise the compiler and CPU
almost always do a better job over time.

thanks,

greg k-h