From: Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>
To: David Vernet <void@manifault.com>,
Andrea Righi <arighi@nvidia.com>,
Changwoo Min <changwoo@igalia.com>
Cc: sched-ext@lists.linux.dev, Emil Tsalapatis <emil@etsalapatis.com>,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH sched_ext/for-7.1-fixes] sched_ext: Fix deadlock between scx_root_disable() and concurrent forks
Date: Sat, 16 May 2026 14:41:20 -1000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <39ab37b4e79c6e5361a907c06ab27e72@kernel.org> (raw)
scx_root_disable() enters SCX_DISABLING before it grabs scx_enable_mutex to
clear [__]scx_switching_all. task_should_scx() short-circuits on DISABLING,
so forks in that window land on fair while next_active_class() still skips
fair - the new tasks stall.
This can deadlock the disable path itself: scx_alloc_and_add_sched() runs
under scx_enable_mutex and creates a helper kthread; if that new kthread is
one of the stalled fair tasks, the mutex holder waits forever and
scx_root_disable() can never make progress. Only sub-sched support exposes
this, since sub-sched enables are the only path where
scx_alloc_and_add_sched() can race the root's disable.
Move the DISABLING check after @scx_switching_all so that whenever
@scx_switching_all is set, forks keep going to scx and stay in lockstep with
__scx_switched_all. Once both are cleared (together under the mutex),
DISABLING applies normally.
Fixes: 337ec00b1d9c ("sched_ext: Implement cgroup sub-sched enabling and disabling")
Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>
---
kernel/sched/ext.c | 23 ++++++++++++++++++++++-
1 file changed, 22 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
--- a/kernel/sched/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext.c
@@ -5092,10 +5092,31 @@ static const struct kset_uevent_ops scx_
*/
bool task_should_scx(int policy)
{
- if (!scx_enabled() || unlikely(scx_enable_state() == SCX_DISABLING))
+ /* if disabled, nothing should be on it */
+ if (!scx_enabled())
return false;
+
+ /* scx is taking over all SCHED_OTHER and SCHED_EXT tasks */
if (READ_ONCE(scx_switching_all))
return true;
+
+ /*
+ * scx is tearing down - keep new SCHED_EXT tasks out.
+ *
+ * Must come after scx_switching_all test. While both are set, we must
+ * return true via the branch above: [__]scx_switching_all are cleared
+ * together under scx_enable_mutex, and a fork routed to fair while
+ * __scx_switched_all is still on would stall because
+ * next_active_class() skips fair.
+ *
+ * This can develop into a deadlock - scx holds scx_enable_mutex across
+ * kthread_create() in scx_alloc_and_add_sched(); if the new kthread is
+ * the stalled task, the disable path can never grab the mutex to clear
+ * scx_switching_all.
+ */
+ if (unlikely(scx_enable_state() == SCX_DISABLING))
+ return false;
+
return policy == SCHED_EXT;
}
next reply other threads:[~2026-05-17 0:41 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 7+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-05-17 0:41 Tejun Heo [this message]
2026-05-17 10:56 ` [PATCH sched_ext/for-7.1-fixes] sched_ext: Fix deadlock between scx_root_disable() and concurrent forks Andrea Righi
2026-05-17 17:25 ` Tejun Heo
2026-05-17 17:43 ` [PATCH v2 " Tejun Heo
2026-05-17 18:47 ` Andrea Righi
2026-05-17 19:08 ` Tejun Heo
2026-05-17 19:15 ` Tejun Heo
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=39ab37b4e79c6e5361a907c06ab27e72@kernel.org \
--to=tj@kernel.org \
--cc=arighi@nvidia.com \
--cc=changwoo@igalia.com \
--cc=emil@etsalapatis.com \
--cc=linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=sched-ext@lists.linux.dev \
--cc=void@manifault.com \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox