Re: [PATCH 1/3] net: introduce a list of device addresses dev_addr_list

[Patrick McHardy]

David Miller wrote:
> From: Patrick McHardy <kaber@xxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:13:57 +0200
>
> > David Miller wrote:
> > > From: Eric Dumazet <dada1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:27:50 +0200
> > >
> > > > Since you obviously need a write lock here to be sure following
> > > > can be done by one cpu only.
> > > >
> > > > You have same problem all over this patch.
> > > RTNL semaphore is held across all modification operations.
> > If this will also be used for multicast lists, changes can happen
> > (IPv6) without the RTNL.
>
> Indeed, that is true :-/

Herbert (I think) suggested to make address list updates in softirq
context a two-step process, where addresses would first be added to
a temporary list and the final change would be done in process context
while holding the RTNL.

Given the complicated mess we currently have, this would be a very
worthwhile change IMO.
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