Re: io_apic & timer_ack fix

From: Ross Dickson
Date: Fri Apr 09 2004 - 12:38:08 EST


On Fri, 09 Apr 2004 at 08:39 +0000, Jon Grimm wrote:

> Hmmm....
>
> I see that the following patch got pulled in by Andrew:
> http://linux.bkbits.net:8080/linux-2.5/diffs/arch/i386/kernel/io_apic.c@xxxx?nav=index.html|src/|src/arch|src/arch/i386|src/arch/i386/kernel|hist/arch/i386/kernel/io_apic.c
>
> The patch had a couple bugs:
> http://seclists.org/lists/linux-kernel/2004/Mar/4152.html
>
> But the patch was pulled out entirely by Linus:
> http://linux.bkbits.net:8080/linux-2.5/diffs/arch/i386/kernel/io_apic.c@xxxx?nav=index.html|src/|src/arch|src/arch/i386|src/arch/i386/kernel|hist/arch/i386/kernel/io_apic.c
>
> Was it determined that the fix was bogus? damaging? fixable?

I thought the patch was OK with typos fixed.

> I ask as I see behavior identical for which this patch seems to have
> been originally carved up for (buggy SMM BIOS at fault, but this was a
> workaround in the OS).
>
> http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=101604672921823&w=2
> http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0203.2/0698.html
>
> Its a fair answer to force the BIOS vendor to fix, but in the meantime,
> I'm trying to figure out how safe/unsafe the workaround patch is ?
> I've ran on it overnight (with the semi-colon's fixed) and it hasn't
> exhibited the troubling behavior (where timer interrupts seem stuck or
> in some cases just extremely slow.... and the 8259 IMR is mucked up when
> Linux isn't even touching anymore).

I read the thread you mention about the IMR muckup along the way to creating
my nforce2 patches - it was most enlightening as to how bad consumer computers
can be.

Prakash tracked his overheat to a buggy binary nvidia driver
http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=108059111721363&w=2
and not Maciej's patch.

Thomas was tracking down C1 C2 etc states but I do not know the results of
his search?
http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=107972277920929&w=2
Was it a problem only with one machine?

I do not recollect any other threads indicating problems with the patch.

I remember rediffing my nforce2 io-apic patch using the 2.6.3-mm3 kernel with
Maciej's patch and having no heat trouble. I am surprised it got pulled out but
then I only tested it on one type of chipset.

BTW I just rebooted to my modified 2.6.3-mm3 and got my normal 38C cpu.
I have to have timer_ack=0 in my io-apic timer routing patch for nforce2 to
get nmi_debug=1 to work. This was all along the way to trying to stop lockups.
In fact I have been running no timer_ack kernel mods since December on 4
machines and all have been cool and hard lockup free.

Regards
Ross Dickson



-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/