Re: [PATCH 4/6] s390: add system call to run tasks with modified branch prediction

Martin Schwidefsky
2018-01-17T11:55:06Z

On Wed, 17 Jan 2018 12:14:52 +0100
Christian Borntraeger <borntraeger@de.ibm.com> wrote:

> On 01/17/2018 11:03 AM, Florian Weimer wrote:
> > On 01/17/2018 10:48 AM, Martin Schwidefsky wrote:
> >>          rc = syscall(__NR_s390_modify_bp);
> >>          if (rc) {
> >>                  perror("s390_modify_bp");
> >>                  exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
> >>          }
> >
> > Isn't this traditionally done through personality or prctl?
>
> I think we want this per thread (and not per process). So I assume personality
> will not work out. Can a prctl be done per thread?

The prctl interface seems to be usable to set a per-thread control
as well. But there is no architecture specific prctl as far as I
can see. Maybe a common PR_SET_NOBP with an arch function like
arch_set_nobp.

> >
> > This looks like something other architectures may want as well.

Yes, that is likely.

--
blue skies,
Martin.

"Reality continues to ruin my life." - Calvin.