Re: [PATCH 6.4 000/227] 6.4.7-rc1 review

From: Paul E. McKenney
Date: Thu Jul 27 2023 - 10:06:33 EST


On Thu, Jul 27, 2023 at 09:26:52AM -0400, Joel Fernandes wrote:
>
>
> > On Jul 27, 2023, at 7:35 AM, Pavel Machek <pavel@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > Hi!
> >
> >>> This is the start of the stable review cycle for the 6.4.7 release.
> >>> There are 227 patches in this series, all will be posted as a response
> >>> to this one. If anyone has any issues with these being applied, please
> >>> let me know.
> >>>
> >>> Responses should be made by Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:44:26 +0000.
> >>> Anything received after that time might be too late.
> >>>
> >>> The whole patch series can be found in one patch at:
> >>> https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/stable-review/patch-6.4.7-rc1.gz
> >>> or in the git tree and branch at:
> >>> git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable-rc.git linux-6.4.y
> >>> and the diffstat can be found below.
> >>
> >> I saw this when running rcutorture, this one happened in the TREE04
> >> configuration. This is likely due to the stuttering issues we are discussing
> >> in the other thread. Anyway I am just making a note here while I am
> >> continuing to look into it.
> >
> > So is the stuttering new in 6.4.7?
>
> No it is an old feature in RCU torture tests. But is dependent on timing. Something
> changed in recent kernels that is making the issues with it more likely. Its hard to bisect as failure sometimes takes hours.
>
> >
> >> Other than that, all tests pass:
> >> Tested-by: Joel Fernandes (Google) <joel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > ...or you still believe 6.4.7 is okay to release?
>
> As such, it should be Ok. However naturally I am not happy that the RCU testing
> is intermittently failing. These issues have been seen in last several 6.4 stable releases
> so since those were released, maybe this one can be too?
> The fix for stuttering is currently being reviewed.

Or, to look at it another way, the stuttering fix is specific to torture
testing. Would we really want to hold up a -stable release only because
rcutorture occasionally gives a false-positive failure on certain types
of systems?

Thanx, Paul

> Thanks,
>
> - Joel
>
>
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Pavel
> > --
> > DENX Software Engineering GmbH, Managing Director: Erika Unter
> > HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany