Re: [PATCH] x86/fpu: don't set TIF_NEED_FPU_LOAD for PF_IO_WORKER threads

From: Jens Axboe
Date: Tue Jan 24 2023 - 11:43:01 EST


On 1/24/23 9:23 AM, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 24, 2023 at 09:06:08AM -0700, Jens Axboe wrote:
>> On 1/24/23 8:40 AM, Peter Zijlstra wrote:
>>> On Tue, Jan 24, 2023 at 08:23:20AM -0700, Jens Axboe wrote:
>>>> We don't set it on PF_KTHREAD threads as they never return to userspace,
>>>> and PF_IO_WORKER threads are identical in that regard. As they keep
>>>> running in the kernel until they die, skip setting the FPU flag on them.
>>>
>>> No objection to the actual patch; but this changelog fails to tell us
>>> why this is important.
>>>
>>> What made you get up and write this patch :-) Presumably this is a
>>> performance issue? If so, can you quantify how much?
>>
>> You snipped the part where that was explained, but arguably that should
>> probably go into the commit message itself:
>>
>> "Not urgent, more of a cosmetic thing that was found while debugging and
>> issue and pondering why the FPU flag is set on these threads."
>
> Duh, I stopped reading at the --- just like a patch tool.. :/

Yeah... Half of that should've been in the commit message, my bad.

>> So it's not really a performance issue, it was just something odd that
>> got me scratching my head when debugging another issue and poking at
>> the flags.
>>
>> Want a resend of it, or will you just augment the commit message?
>
> I think tglx typically takes fpu patches, but sure can do.

Thanks!

--
Jens Axboe