Re: [patch] spinlocks: remove 'volatile'

Linus Torvalds
2006-07-07T21:59:35Z

On Fri, 7 Jul 2006, linux-os (Dick Johnson) wrote:
>
> This is a bait and switch argument. The code was displayed to show
> the compiler output, not an example of good coding practice.

NO IT IS NOT.

The whole point of my argument is simple:

> > "'volatile' is useless. The things it did 30 years ago are much
> > more complex these days, and need to be tied to much more
> > detailed rules that depend on the actual particular problem,
> > rather than one keyword to the compiler that doesn't actually
> > give enough information for the compiler to do anything useful"

And dammit, if you cannot admit that, then you're not worth discussing
with.

"volatile" is useless. It's a big hammer in a world where the nails aren't
nails any more, they are screws, thumb-tacks, and spotwelding.

It still makes a difference for code generation, OF COURSE. But it's the
wrong thing to use.

Linus