[PATCH bpf-next v2] selftests/bpf: Report the real error from libarena parallel workers

[PATCH bpf-next v2] selftests/bpf: Report the real error from libarena parallel workers

[Jiayuan Chen]

Several CI runs failed in the libarena parallel tests with -4 (-EINTR) [1],
which says nothing about what actually went wrong.

Two workers can fail like this:

  worker 1: gives up, e.g. the rendezvous times out, sets test_abort and
            returns its own error (-ETIMEDOUT)
  worker 2: sees test_abort and returns -EINTR

-EINTR only means "someone else already gave up", so it carries no
information. Which of the two gets reported depends on the order
pthread_join() collects them, because

	err = err ?: (long)thread_ret;

keeps the first non-zero value and drops the rest. When the -EINTR worker
comes first, the error describing the actual failure is lost.

Skip -EINTR entirely: a worker only returns it once another worker has
already reported the real error, so report and log only the real errors.

It is still unclear whether the timeouts come from CI load or from a
problem in the test itself. Report the error accurately first, so the next
failure can be diagnosed.

[1]:
https://github.com/kernel-patches/bpf/actions/runs/29867905253/job/88764463566
https://github.com/kernel-patches/bpf/actions/runs/29878191901/job/88794845824

Signed-off-by: Jiayuan Chen <jiayuan.chen@linux.dev>

---
v1 -> v2:
- hoist the worker_err declaration to the top of the function
- skip -EINTR workers entirely: do not aggregate and do not log them
- comment/commit message wording fixes

v1: https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/20260722064713.357277-1-jiayuan.chen@linux.dev/
---
 .../selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c        | 18 +++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c
index df7e4b8dc394..daade4150af6 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ static int run_libarena_parallel_test_workers(struct libarena *skel,
 	uint32_t nthreads;
 	void *thread_ret;
 	int ret, err = 0;
+	int worker_err;
 	int i;
 
 	for (nthreads = 0; nthreads < UINT_MAX; nthreads++) {
@@ -118,7 +119,22 @@ static int run_libarena_parallel_test_workers(struct libarena *skel,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		err = err ?: (long)thread_ret;
+		worker_err = (long)thread_ret;
+
+		/*
+		 * A worker that bails out because another one already gave up
+		 * reports -EINTR. It is collateral damage that carries no
+		 * information, so skip it entirely: never let it become the
+		 * reported error, and don't log it either.
+		 */
+		if (!worker_err || worker_err == -EINTR)
+			continue;
+
+		if (!err)
+			err = worker_err;
+
+		fprintf(stdout, "%.*s__%d returned %d\n", (int)prefixlen, name,
+			i, worker_err);
 	}
 
 	free(threads);
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH bpf-next v2] selftests/bpf: Report the real error from libarena parallel workers

[Emil Tsalapatis]

On Thu Jul 23, 2026 at 2:13 AM EDT, Jiayuan Chen wrote:
> Several CI runs failed in the libarena parallel tests with -4 (-EINTR) [1],
> which says nothing about what actually went wrong.
>
> Two workers can fail like this:
>
>   worker 1: gives up, e.g. the rendezvous times out, sets test_abort and
>             returns its own error (-ETIMEDOUT)
>   worker 2: sees test_abort and returns -EINTR
>
> -EINTR only means "someone else already gave up", so it carries no
> information. Which of the two gets reported depends on the order
> pthread_join() collects them, because
>
> 	err = err ?: (long)thread_ret;
>
> keeps the first non-zero value and drops the rest. When the -EINTR worker
> comes first, the error describing the actual failure is lost.
>
> Skip -EINTR entirely: a worker only returns it once another worker has
> already reported the real error, so report and log only the real errors.
>
> It is still unclear whether the timeouts come from CI load or from a
> problem in the test itself. Report the error accurately first, so the next
> failure can be diagnosed.
>
> [1]:
> https://github.com/kernel-patches/bpf/actions/runs/29867905253/job/88764463566
> https://github.com/kernel-patches/bpf/actions/runs/29878191901/job/88794845824
>
> Signed-off-by: Jiayuan Chen <jiayuan.chen@linux.dev>

Reviewed-by: Emil Tsalapatis <emil@etsalapatis.com>

>
> ---
> v1 -> v2:
> - hoist the worker_err declaration to the top of the function
> - skip -EINTR workers entirely: do not aggregate and do not log them
> - comment/commit message wording fixes
>
> v1: https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/20260722064713.357277-1-jiayuan.chen@linux.dev/
> ---
>  .../selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c        | 18 +++++++++++++++++-
>  1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c
> index df7e4b8dc394..daade4150af6 100644
> --- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c
> +++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/libarena.c
> @@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ static int run_libarena_parallel_test_workers(struct libarena *skel,
>  	uint32_t nthreads;
>  	void *thread_ret;
>  	int ret, err = 0;
> +	int worker_err;
>  	int i;
>  
>  	for (nthreads = 0; nthreads < UINT_MAX; nthreads++) {
> @@ -118,7 +119,22 @@ static int run_libarena_parallel_test_workers(struct libarena *skel,
>  			continue;
>  		}
>  
> -		err = err ?: (long)thread_ret;
> +		worker_err = (long)thread_ret;
> +
> +		/*
> +		 * A worker that bails out because another one already gave up
> +		 * reports -EINTR. It is collateral damage that carries no
> +		 * information, so skip it entirely: never let it become the
> +		 * reported error, and don't log it either.
> +		 */
> +		if (!worker_err || worker_err == -EINTR)
> +			continue;
> +
> +		if (!err)
> +			err = worker_err;
> +
> +		fprintf(stdout, "%.*s__%d returned %d\n", (int)prefixlen, name,
> +			i, worker_err);
>  	}
>  
>  	free(threads);

Re: [PATCH bpf-next v2] selftests/bpf: Report the real error from libarena parallel workers

[patchwork-bot+netdevbpf]

Hello:

This patch was applied to bpf/bpf-next.git (master)
by Kumar Kartikeya Dwivedi <memxor@gmail.com>:

On Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:13:37 +0800 you wrote:
> Several CI runs failed in the libarena parallel tests with -4 (-EINTR) [1],
> which says nothing about what actually went wrong.
> 
> Two workers can fail like this:
> 
>   worker 1: gives up, e.g. the rendezvous times out, sets test_abort and
>             returns its own error (-ETIMEDOUT)
>   worker 2: sees test_abort and returns -EINTR
> 
> [...]

Here is the summary with links:
  - [bpf-next,v2] selftests/bpf: Report the real error from libarena parallel workers
    https://git.kernel.org/bpf/bpf-next/c/fdec474c65fd

You are awesome, thank you!
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