Re: [RFC PATCH] nmi,printk: fix ABBA deadlock between nmi_backtrace and dump_stack_lvl

[John Ogness <john.ogness@linutronix.de>]

On 2024-07-18, Rik van Riel <riel@surriel.com> wrote:
>> diff --git a/kernel/printk/printk.c b/kernel/printk/printk.c
>> index dddb15f48d59..36f40db0bf93 100644
>> --- a/kernel/printk/printk.c
>> +++ b/kernel/printk/printk.c
>> @@ -1060,6 +1060,8 @@ static int __init log_buf_len_setup(char *str)
>>  early_param("log_buf_len", log_buf_len_setup);
>>  
>>  #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
>> +static bool vprintk_emit_may_spin(void);
>> +
>>  #define __LOG_CPU_MAX_BUF_LEN (1 << CONFIG_LOG_CPU_MAX_BUF_SHIFT)
>>  
>>  static void __init log_buf_add_cpu(void)
>> @@ -1090,6 +1092,7 @@ static void __init log_buf_add_cpu(void)
>>  }
>>  #else /* !CONFIG_SMP */
>>  static inline void log_buf_add_cpu(void) {}
>> +static inline bool vprintk_emit_may_spin(void) { return true };
>>  #endif /* CONFIG_SMP */
>>  
>>  static void __init set_percpu_data_ready(void)
>> @@ -2330,6 +2333,8 @@ asmlinkage int vprintk_emit(int facility, int
>> level,
>>  
>>  	/* If called from the scheduler, we can not call up(). */
>>  	if (!in_sched) {
>> +		int ret;
>> +
>>  		/*
>>  		 * The caller may be holding system-critical or
>>  		 * timing-sensitive locks. Disable preemption during
>> @@ -2344,7 +2349,11 @@ asmlinkage int vprintk_emit(int facility, int
>> level,
>>  		 * spinning variant, this context tries to take over
>> the
>>  		 * printing from another printing context.
>>  		 */
>> -		if (console_trylock_spinning())
>> +		if (vprintk_emit_may_spin())
>> +			ret = console_trylock_spinning();
>> +		else
>> +			ret = console_trylock();
>> +		if (ret)
>>  			console_unlock();
>>  		preempt_enable();
>>  	}
>> @@ -4321,6 +4330,15 @@ void console_replay_all(void)
>>  static atomic_t printk_cpu_sync_owner = ATOMIC_INIT(-1);
>>  static atomic_t printk_cpu_sync_nested = ATOMIC_INIT(0);
>>  
>> +/*
>> + * As documented in printk_cpu_sync_get_irqsave(), a context holding
>> the
>> + * printk_cpu_sync must not spin waiting for another CPU.
>> + */
>> +static bool vprintk_emit_may_spin(void)
>> +{
>> +	return (atomic_read(&printk_cpu_sync_owner) !=
>> smp_processor_id());
>> +}
>
> I think what the code would have to do is only trylock, and never
> spin after taking the printk_cpu_sync_get_irqsave lock.

That is what the code does. If @printk_cpu_sync_owner is set to the
current CPU, the context is holding the cpu_sync and will call the
non-spinning variant, console_trylock().

However, my first suggestion to defer whenever the cpu_sync is held
really is the only option because console_unlock() will spin on the uart
port lock, and that is also not allowed when holding the cpu_sync.

John