Re: [PATCH] Linux Kernel Markers 0.8 for 2.6.17 (with near jump for i386)

[Karim Yaghmour <karim@opersys.com>]

Mathieu Desnoyers wrote:
> --- a/arch/i386/Kconfig
> +++ b/arch/i386/Kconfig
> @@ -1082,6 +1082,8 @@ config KPROBES
>  	  for kernel debugging, non-intrusive instrumentation and testing.
>  	  If in doubt, say "N".
>  
> +source "kernel/Kconfig.marker"
> +
>  source "ltt/Kconfig"

diffing against an LTT tree ...

> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/include/asm-alpha/marker.h
...
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/include/asm-arm/marker.h
...
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/include/asm-arm26/marker.h
...
...

Not sure about the need for asm-foo/marker.h if the file contains no
code at all. If there's going to be one marker.h per arch, it might
as well have a purpose. So instead of:

> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/include/asm-i386/marker.h
...
> +#define ARCH_HAS_MARK_NEAR_JUMP

and

> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/include/linux/marker.h
...
> +#ifndef ARCH_HAS_MARK_NEAR_JUMP
...

Why not just have asm-foo/marker.h either implement the optimization
or point to an asm-generic/marker.h which contains the non-optimized
code. No #ifndefs needed.

> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/kernel/Kconfig.marker
...
> +config MARK_SYMBOL
...
> +config MARK_JUMP_CALL
...
> +config MARK_JUMP
...

My understanding of Ingo's input is that he'd rather not have this
multiple options. Either the markers are active or they aren't.
So ...
MARK_ACTIVE ... speaks for itself, enables both the markers and
the set/disable infrastructure. Markers are enabled in their
optimized per-architecture implementation.

MARK_FORCE_DIRECT_CALL ... forces all markers to be non-optimized
(good for embedded systems where the image is in rom/flash and
can therefore not have runtime binary modifications.) Maybe this
should depend on CONFIG_EMBEDDED.

Karim
-- 
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