Re: [patch] x86: convert rdtscll() to use __native_read_tsc
From: Ingo Molnar
Date: Tue Dec 16 2008 - 04:15:48 EST
* Ken Chen <kenchen@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Is there any reason why x86 rdtscll have to use the out of line function
> instead of inline __native_read_tsc()? native_read_tsc and
> __native_read_tsc is essentially the same functions.
Your patch is correct.
The reason for the __native_read_tsc() / native_read_tsc() distinction is
and obscure problem with paravirt function pointers. Such constructs:
./xen/enlighten.c: .read_tsc = native_read_tsc,
do not always work fine with all versions of gcc, if native_read_tsc() is
a simple static inline (as it should be) - the build would fail with
certain gcc flags. (and i remember runtime problems too) The C semantics
of taking the address of an inline function seem pretty clear: the inlined
function should be instantiated in that .o and a pointer should be
generated out of that local instantiation.
Perhaps the real fix is to do this rename as well:
native_read_tsc => native_read_tsc_paravirt
__native_read_tsc => native_read_tsc
as this makes the native_read_tsc_paravirt() a pure technical variant, to
be used in paravirt_ops function pointer assignments. People would thus
just use the obvious native_read_tsc() inline function most of the time
and could forget about native_read_tsc_paravirt().
Jeremy?
Ingo
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