Re: [PATCH] x86: Add a turbo mode sysctl

From: Thomas Gleixner
Date: Sun Apr 03 2016 - 05:57:18 EST


On Sat, 2 Apr 2016, Andy Lutomirski wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 9:10 AM, Thomas Gleixner <tglx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >> + if (turbo_mode)
> >> + write_cr0(cr0 & ~X86_CR0_CD);
> >> + else
> >> + write_cr0(cr0 | X86_CR0_CD);
> >
> > I think proper turbo mode disable requires ~(X86_CR0_CD | X86_CR0_NW)
>
> I thought that made no difference on family 6 and P4 and was actively
> dangerous (disabled coherency) before. At least, that's what the
> table of caching modes and the footnote seems to say.

CD=0 and NW=1 result in #GP, which might be your intent as that is definitely
the slowest mode you can achieve. But you should add a comment at least.

> I think we should merge this patch and add a special-case so that
> calling unlink on turbo_mode sets it to zero. Then people who rm -rf
> / will brick their systems more slowly :)

While at it can you please make a turbo = 0 call when we hit a WARN/BUG/Panic
so the messages spill slower over the screen?

Thanks,

tglx