[PATCH 2/8] doc: Make whatisRCU.rst note that spinlocks are RCU readers

From: Boqun Feng
Date: Thu Jan 25 2024 - 22:59:47 EST


From: "Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx>

In kernels built with CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT=n, spinlock critical sections
are RCU readers because they disable preemption. However, they are also
RCU readers in CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT=y because in that case the locking
primitives contain rcu_read_lock() and rcu_read_unlock(). Therefore,
upgrade whatisRCU.rst to document this non-obvious case.

Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.rst | 15 +++++++++++++--
1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.rst b/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.rst
index 60ce02475142..246ce0d0b4d1 100644
--- a/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.rst
+++ b/Documentation/RCU/whatisRCU.rst
@@ -172,14 +172,25 @@ rcu_read_lock()
critical section. Reference counts may be used in conjunction
with RCU to maintain longer-term references to data structures.

+ Note that anything that disables bottom halves, preemption,
+ or interrupts also enters an RCU read-side critical section.
+ Acquiring a spinlock also enters an RCU read-side critical
+ sections, even for spinlocks that do not disable preemption,
+ as is the case in kernels built with CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT=y.
+ Sleeplocks do *not* enter RCU read-side critical sections.
+
rcu_read_unlock()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
void rcu_read_unlock(void);

This temporal primitives is used by a reader to inform the
reclaimer that the reader is exiting an RCU read-side critical
- section. Note that RCU read-side critical sections may be nested
- and/or overlapping.
+ section. Anything that enables bottom halves, preemption,
+ or interrupts also exits an RCU read-side critical section.
+ Releasing a spinlock also exits an RCU read-side critical section.
+
+ Note that RCU read-side critical sections may be nested and/or
+ overlapping.

synchronize_rcu()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
--
2.43.0