Re: [PATCH 1/2] drm: Fix dirtyfb stalls

Rob Clark
2021-05-11T17:39:26Z

On Tue, May 11, 2021 at 10:21 AM Daniel Vetter <daniel@ffwll.ch> wrote:
>
> On Tue, May 11, 2021 at 10:19:57AM -0700, Rob Clark wrote:
> > On Tue, May 11, 2021 at 9:44 AM Daniel Vetter <daniel@ffwll.ch> wrote:
> > >
> > > On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 12:06:05PM -0700, Rob Clark wrote:
> > > > On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 10:44 AM Daniel Vetter <daniel@ffwll.ch> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 6:51 PM Rob Clark <robdclark@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 9:14 AM Daniel Vetter <daniel@ffwll.ch> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > On Sat, May 08, 2021 at 12:56:38PM -0700, Rob Clark wrote:
> > > > > > > > From: Rob Clark <robdclark@chromium.org>
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > drm_atomic_helper_dirtyfb() will end up stalling for vblank on "video
> > > > > > > > mode" type displays, which is pointless and unnecessary. Add an
> > > > > > > > optional helper vfunc to determine if a plane is attached to a CRTC
> > > > > > > > that actually needs dirtyfb, and skip over them.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Signed-off-by: Rob Clark <robdclark@chromium.org>
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > So this is a bit annoying because the idea of all these "remap legacy uapi
> > > > > > > to atomic constructs" helpers is that they shouldn't need/use anything
> > > > > > > beyond what userspace also has available. So adding hacks for them feels
> > > > > > > really bad.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I suppose the root problem is that userspace doesn't know if dirtyfb
> > > > > > (or similar) is actually required or is a no-op.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > But it is perhaps less of a problem because this essentially boils
> > > > > > down to "x11 vs wayland", and it seems like wayland compositors for
> > > > > > non-vsync'd rendering just pageflips and throws away extra frames from
> > > > > > the app?
> > > > >
> > > > > Yeah it's about not adequately batching up rendering and syncing with
> > > > > hw. bare metal x11 is just especially stupid about it :-)
> > > > >
> > > > > > > Also I feel like it's not entirely the right thing to do here either.
> > > > > > > We've had this problem already on the fbcon emulation side (which also
> > > > > > > shouldn't be able to peek behind the atomic kms uapi curtain), and the fix
> > > > > > > there was to have a worker which batches up all the updates and avoids any
> > > > > > > stalls in bad places.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I'm not too worried about fbcon not being able to render faster than
> > > > > > vblank. OTOH it is a pretty big problem for x11
> > > > >
> > > > > That's why we'd let the worker get ahead at most one dirtyfb. We do
> > > > > the same with fbcon, which trivially can get ahead of vblank otherwise
> > > > > (if sometimes flushes each character, so you have to pile them up into
> > > > > a single update if that's still pending).
> > > > >
> > > > > > > Since this is for frontbuffer rendering userspace only we can probably get
> > > > > > > away with assuming there's only a single fb, so the implementation becomes
> > > > > > > pretty simple:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > - 1 worker, and we keep track of a single pending fb
> > > > > > > - if there's already a dirty fb pending on a different fb, we stall for
> > > > > > > the worker to start processing that one already (i.e. the fb we track is
> > > > > > > reset to NULL)
> > > > > > > - if it's pending on the same fb we just toss away all the updates and go
> > > > > > > with a full update, since merging the clip rects is too much work :-) I
> > > > > > > think there's helpers so you could be slightly more clever and just have
> > > > > > > an overall bounding box
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This doesn't really fix the problem, you still end up delaying sending
> > > > > > the next back-buffer to mesa
> > > > >
> > > > > With this the dirtyfb would never block. Also glorious frontbuffer
> > > > > tracking corruption is possible, but that's not the kernel's problem.
> > > > > So how would anything get held up in userspace.
> > > >
> > > > the part about stalling if a dirtyfb is pending was what I was worried
> > > > about.. but I suppose you meant the worker stalling, rather than
> > > > userspace stalling (where I had interpreted it the other way around).
> > > > As soon as userspace needs to stall, you're losing again.
> > >
> > > Nah, I did mean userspace stalling, so we can't pile up unlimited amounts
> > > of dirtyfb request in the kernel.
> > >
> > > But also I never expect userspace that uses dirtyfb to actually hit this
> > > stall point (otherwise we'd need to look at this again). It would really
> > > be only there as defense against abuse.
> >
> > I don't believe modesetting ddx throttles dirtyfb, it (indirectly)
> > calls this from it's BlockHandler.. so if you do end up blocking after
> > the N'th dirtyfb, you are still going to end up stalling for vblank,
> > you are just deferring that for a frame or two..
>
> Nope, that's not what I mean.
>
> By default we pile up the updates, so you _never_ stall. The worker then
> takes the entire update every time it runs and batches them up.
>
> We _only_ stall when we get a dirtyfb with a different fb. Because that's
> much harder to pile up, plus frontbuffer rendering userspace uses a single
> fb across all screens anyway.
>
> So really I don't expect X to ever stall in it's BlockHandler with this.

ok, sorry, I missed the "different fb" part..

but I could see a userspace that uses multiple fb's wanting to do
front buffer rendering.. although they are probably only going to do
it on a single display at a time, so maybe that is a bit of an edge
case

> > The thing is, for a push style panel, you don't necessarily have to
> > wait for "vblank" (because "vblank" isn't necessarily a real thing),
> > so in that scenario dirtyfb could in theory be fast. What you want to
> > do is fundamentally different for push vs pull style displays.
>
> Yeah, but we'd only stall if userspace does a modeset (which means
> different fb) and at that point you'll stall anyway a bit. So shouldn't
> hurt.
>
> Well you can do frontbuffer rendering even with atomic ioctl. Just don't
> use dirtyfb.
>
> But also you really shouldn't use frontbuffer rendering right now, since
> we don't have the interfaces right now to tell userspace whether it's
> cmd-mode or something else and what kind of corruption (if any) to expect
> when they do that.

Compressed formats and front-buffer rendering don't really work out in
a pleasant way.. minigbm has a usage flag to indicate that the surface
will be used for front-buffer rendering (and it is a thing we should
probably port to real gbm). I think this aspect of it is better
solved in userspace.

> > > > > > But we could re-work drm_framebuffer_funcs::dirty to operate on a
> > > > > > per-crtc basis and hoist the loop and check if dirtyfb is needed out
> > > > > > of drm_atomic_helper_dirtyfb()
> > > > >
> > > > > That's still using information that userspace doesn't have, which is a
> > > > > bit irky. We might as well go with your thing here then.
> > > >
> > > > arguably, this is something we should expose to userspace.. for DSI
> > > > command-mode panels, you probably want to make a different decision
> > > > with regard to how many buffers in your flip-chain..
> > > >
> > > > Possibly we should add/remove the fb_damage_clips property depending
> > > > on the display type (ie. video/pull vs cmd/push mode)?
> > >
> > > I'm not sure whether atomic actually needs this exposed:
> > > - clients will do full flips for every frame anyway, I've not heard of
> > > anyone seriously doing frontbuffer rendering.
> >
> > Frontbuffer rendering is actually a thing, for ex. to reduce latency
> > for stylus (android and CrOS do this.. fortunately AFAICT CrOS never
> > uses the dirtyfb ioctl.. but as soon as someone has the nice idea to
> > add that we'd be running into the same problem)
> >
> > Possibly one idea is to treat dirty-clip updates similarly to cursor
> > updates, and let the driver accumulate the updates and then wait until
> > vblank to apply them
>
> Yeah that's what I mean. Except implemented cheaper. fbcon code already
> does it. I think we're seriously talking past each another.

Hmm, well 'state->async_update = true' is a pretty cheap implementation..

BR,
-R

> -Daniel
>
> >
> > BR,
> > -R
> >
> > > - transporting the cliprects around and then tossing them if the driver
> > > doesn't need them in their flip is probably not a measurable win
> > >
> > > But yeah if I'm wrong and we have a need here and it's useful, then
> > > exposing this to userspace should be done. Meanwhile I think a "offload to
> > > worker like fbcon" trick for this legacy interface is probabyl the best
> > > option. Plus it will fix things not just for the case where you don't need
> > > dirty uploading, it will also fix things for the case where you _do_ need
> > > dirty uploading (since right now we stall in a few bad places for that I
> > > think).
> > > -Daniel
> > >
> > > >
> > > > BR,
> > > > -R
> > > >
> > > > > -Daniel
> > > > >
> > > > > > BR,
> > > > > > -R
> > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Could probably steal most of the implementation.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > This approach here feels a tad too much in the hacky area ...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thoughts?
> > > > > > > -Daniel
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ---
> > > > > > > > drivers/gpu/drm/drm_damage_helper.c | 8 ++++++++
> > > > > > > > include/drm/drm_modeset_helper_vtables.h | 14 ++++++++++++++
> > > > > > > > 2 files changed, 22 insertions(+)
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_damage_helper.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_damage_helper.c
> > > > > > > > index 3a4126dc2520..a0bed1a2c2dc 100644
> > > > > > > > --- a/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_damage_helper.c
> > > > > > > > +++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/drm_damage_helper.c
> > > > > > > > @@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ int drm_atomic_helper_dirtyfb(struct drm_framebuffer *fb,
> > > > > > > > retry:
> > > > > > > > drm_for_each_plane(plane, fb->dev) {
> > > > > > > > struct drm_plane_state *plane_state;
> > > > > > > > + struct drm_crtc *crtc;
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ret = drm_modeset_lock(&plane->mutex, state->acquire_ctx);
> > > > > > > > if (ret)
> > > > > > > > @@ -221,6 +222,13 @@ int drm_atomic_helper_dirtyfb(struct drm_framebuffer *fb,
> > > > > > > > continue;
> > > > > > > > }
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > + crtc = plane->state->crtc;
> > > > > > > > + if (crtc->helper_private->needs_dirtyfb &&
> > > > > > > > + !crtc->helper_private->needs_dirtyfb(crtc)) {
> > > > > > > > + drm_modeset_unlock(&plane->mutex);
> > > > > > > > + continue;
> > > > > > > > + }
> > > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > > plane_state = drm_atomic_get_plane_state(state, plane);
> > > > > > > > if (IS_ERR(plane_state)) {
> > > > > > > > ret = PTR_ERR(plane_state);
> > > > > > > > diff --git a/include/drm/drm_modeset_helper_vtables.h b/include/drm/drm_modeset_helper_vtables.h
> > > > > > > > index eb706342861d..afa8ec5754e7 100644
> > > > > > > > --- a/include/drm/drm_modeset_helper_vtables.h
> > > > > > > > +++ b/include/drm/drm_modeset_helper_vtables.h
> > > > > > > > @@ -487,6 +487,20 @@ struct drm_crtc_helper_funcs {
> > > > > > > > bool in_vblank_irq, int *vpos, int *hpos,
> > > > > > > > ktime_t *stime, ktime_t *etime,
> > > > > > > > const struct drm_display_mode *mode);
> > > > > > > > +
> > > > > > > > + /**
> > > > > > > > + * @needs_dirtyfb
> > > > > > > > + *
> > > > > > > > + * Optional callback used by damage helpers to determine if fb_damage_clips
> > > > > > > > + * update is needed.
> > > > > > > > + *
> > > > > > > > + * Returns:
> > > > > > > > + *
> > > > > > > > + * True if fb_damage_clips update is needed to handle DIRTYFB, False
> > > > > > > > + * otherwise. If this callback is not implemented, then True is
> > > > > > > > + * assumed.
> > > > > > > > + */
> > > > > > > > + bool (*needs_dirtyfb)(struct drm_crtc *crtc);
> > > > > > > > };
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > /**
> > > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > > 2.30.2
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > Daniel Vetter
> > > > > > > Software Engineer, Intel Corporation
> > > > > > > http://blog.ffwll.ch
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Daniel Vetter
> > > > > Software Engineer, Intel Corporation
> > > > > http://blog.ffwll.ch
> > >
> > > --
> > > Daniel Vetter
> > > Software Engineer, Intel Corporation
> > > http://blog.ffwll.ch
>
> --
> Daniel Vetter
> Software Engineer, Intel Corporation
> http://blog.ffwll.ch