2009-06-08 07:57:13

by Jaswinder Singh Rajput

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: [GIT-PULL -tip] x86: xpu_debug patches

Ingo,

Please pull cpu_debug patches :

The following changes since commit 5095f59bda6793a7b8f0856096d6893fe98e0e51:
Jaswinder Singh Rajput (1):
x86: cpu_debug: Remove model information to reduce encoding-decoding

are available in the git repository at:

git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jaswinder/linux-2.6-cpu.git x86/cpu

Jaswinder Singh Rajput (5):
x86: cpu_debug update Kconfig entry
x86: cpu_debug.c remove some not required header files
x86: cpu_debug.c use a WARN_ONCE() instead of a pr_err()
x86: cpu_debug make room to support more categories
x86: cpu_debug update MSR list to support new architectures

arch/x86/Kconfig | 12 ++++-
arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_debug.h | 102 +++++++++++++-------------------------
arch/x86/kernel/cpu/cpu_debug.c | 45 +++++++++-------
3 files changed, 70 insertions(+), 89 deletions(-)

Complete diff:

diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
index a6efe0a..cd2debd 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -955,9 +955,19 @@ config X86_CPUID

config X86_CPU_DEBUG
tristate "/sys/kernel/debug/x86/cpu/* - CPU Debug support"
+ select DEBUG_FS
---help---
If you select this option, this will provide various x86 CPUs
- information through debugfs.
+ information through debugfs. Any user can read these file but writing
+ needs root privilege.
+
+ Note: 1. If you compile cpu_debug as a module, it will _not_ be loaded
+ automatically (like usual drivers). You will need to load it manually
+ (or add it to list of modules loaded during boot).
+
+ 2. You need debugfs, if you want to mount debugfs automatically
+ append this line in /etc/fstab:
+ debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs defaults 0 0

choice
prompt "High Memory Support"
diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_debug.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_debug.h
index d96c1ee..da5c221 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_debug.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_debug.h
@@ -10,84 +10,50 @@
/* Register flags */
enum cpu_debug_bit {
/* Model Specific Registers (MSRs) */
- CPU_MC_BIT, /* Machine Check */
- CPU_MONITOR_BIT, /* Monitor */
- CPU_TIME_BIT, /* Time */
- CPU_PMC_BIT, /* Performance Monitor */
- CPU_PLATFORM_BIT, /* Platform */
- CPU_APIC_BIT, /* APIC */
- CPU_POWERON_BIT, /* Power-on */
- CPU_CONTROL_BIT, /* Control */
- CPU_FEATURES_BIT, /* Features control */
- CPU_LBRANCH_BIT, /* Last Branch */
- CPU_BIOS_BIT, /* BIOS */
- CPU_FREQ_BIT, /* Frequency */
- CPU_MTTR_BIT, /* MTRR */
- CPU_PERF_BIT, /* Performance */
- CPU_CACHE_BIT, /* Cache */
- CPU_SYSENTER_BIT, /* Sysenter */
- CPU_THERM_BIT, /* Thermal */
- CPU_MISC_BIT, /* Miscellaneous */
- CPU_DEBUG_BIT, /* Debug */
- CPU_PAT_BIT, /* PAT */
- CPU_VMX_BIT, /* VMX */
- CPU_CALL_BIT, /* System Call */
- CPU_BASE_BIT, /* BASE Address */
- CPU_VER_BIT, /* Version ID */
- CPU_CONF_BIT, /* Configuration */
- CPU_SMM_BIT, /* System mgmt mode */
- CPU_SVM_BIT, /*Secure Virtual Machine*/
- CPU_OSVM_BIT, /* OS-Visible Workaround*/
+ CPU_MC, /* Machine Check */
+ CPU_MONITOR, /* Monitor */
+ CPU_TIME, /* Time */
+ CPU_PMC, /* Performance Monitor */
+ CPU_PLATFORM, /* Platform */
+ CPU_APIC, /* APIC */
+ CPU_POWERON, /* Power-on */
+ CPU_CONTROL, /* Control */
+ CPU_FEATURES, /* Features control */
+ CPU_LBRANCH, /* Last Branch */
+ CPU_BIOS, /* BIOS */
+ CPU_FREQ, /* Frequency */
+ CPU_MTRR, /* MTRR */
+ CPU_PERF, /* Performance */
+ CPU_CACHE, /* Cache */
+ CPU_SYSENTER, /* Sysenter */
+ CPU_THERM, /* Thermal */
+ CPU_MISC, /* Miscellaneous */
+ CPU_DEBUG, /* Debug */
+ CPU_PAT, /* PAT */
+ CPU_VMX, /* VMX */
+ CPU_CALL, /* System Call */
+ CPU_BASE, /* BASE Address */
+ CPU_VER, /* Version ID */
+ CPU_CONF, /* Configuration */
+ CPU_SMM, /* System mgmt mode */
+ CPU_SVM, /*Secure Virtual Machine*/
+ CPU_OSVM, /* OS-Visible Workaround*/
/* Standard Registers */
- CPU_TSS_BIT, /* Task Stack Segment */
- CPU_CR_BIT, /* Control Registers */
- CPU_DT_BIT, /* Descriptor Table */
+ CPU_TSS, /* Task Stack Segment */
+ CPU_CR, /* Control Registers */
+ CPU_DT, /* Descriptor Table */
/* End of Registers flags */
- CPU_REG_ALL_BIT, /* Select all Registers */
+ CPU_REG_MAX, /* Max Registers flags */
};

#define CPU_REG_ALL (~0) /* Select all Registers */

-#define CPU_MC (1 << CPU_MC_BIT)
-#define CPU_MONITOR (1 << CPU_MONITOR_BIT)
-#define CPU_TIME (1 << CPU_TIME_BIT)
-#define CPU_PMC (1 << CPU_PMC_BIT)
-#define CPU_PLATFORM (1 << CPU_PLATFORM_BIT)
-#define CPU_APIC (1 << CPU_APIC_BIT)
-#define CPU_POWERON (1 << CPU_POWERON_BIT)
-#define CPU_CONTROL (1 << CPU_CONTROL_BIT)
-#define CPU_FEATURES (1 << CPU_FEATURES_BIT)
-#define CPU_LBRANCH (1 << CPU_LBRANCH_BIT)
-#define CPU_BIOS (1 << CPU_BIOS_BIT)
-#define CPU_FREQ (1 << CPU_FREQ_BIT)
-#define CPU_MTRR (1 << CPU_MTTR_BIT)
-#define CPU_PERF (1 << CPU_PERF_BIT)
-#define CPU_CACHE (1 << CPU_CACHE_BIT)
-#define CPU_SYSENTER (1 << CPU_SYSENTER_BIT)
-#define CPU_THERM (1 << CPU_THERM_BIT)
-#define CPU_MISC (1 << CPU_MISC_BIT)
-#define CPU_DEBUG (1 << CPU_DEBUG_BIT)
-#define CPU_PAT (1 << CPU_PAT_BIT)
-#define CPU_VMX (1 << CPU_VMX_BIT)
-#define CPU_CALL (1 << CPU_CALL_BIT)
-#define CPU_BASE (1 << CPU_BASE_BIT)
-#define CPU_VER (1 << CPU_VER_BIT)
-#define CPU_CONF (1 << CPU_CONF_BIT)
-#define CPU_SMM (1 << CPU_SMM_BIT)
-#define CPU_SVM (1 << CPU_SVM_BIT)
-#define CPU_OSVM (1 << CPU_OSVM_BIT)
-#define CPU_TSS (1 << CPU_TSS_BIT)
-#define CPU_CR (1 << CPU_CR_BIT)
-#define CPU_DT (1 << CPU_DT_BIT)
-
/* Register file flags */
enum cpu_file_bit {
- CPU_INDEX_BIT, /* index */
- CPU_VALUE_BIT, /* value */
+ CPU_INDEX, /* index */
+ CPU_VALUE, /* value */
};

-#define CPU_FILE_VALUE (1 << CPU_VALUE_BIT)
-
#define MAX_CPU_FILES 512

struct cpu_private {
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/cpu_debug.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/cpu_debug.c
index 86afe13..943dae8 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/cpu_debug.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/cpu_debug.c
@@ -6,16 +6,12 @@
* For licencing details see kernel-base/COPYING
*/

-#include <linux/interrupt.h>
-#include <linux/compiler.h>
#include <linux/seq_file.h>
#include <linux/debugfs.h>
-#include <linux/kprobes.h>
#include <linux/uaccess.h>
#include <linux/kernel.h>
#include <linux/module.h>
#include <linux/percpu.h>
-#include <linux/signal.h>
#include <linux/errno.h>
#include <linux/sched.h>
#include <linux/types.h>
@@ -26,11 +22,10 @@
#include <asm/cpu_debug.h>
#include <asm/paravirt.h>
#include <asm/system.h>
-#include <asm/traps.h>
#include <asm/apic.h>
#include <asm/desc.h>

-static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct cpu_cpuX_base, cpu_arr[CPU_REG_ALL_BIT]);
+static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct cpu_cpuX_base, cpu_arr[CPU_REG_MAX]);
static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct cpu_private *, priv_arr[MAX_CPU_FILES]);
static DEFINE_PER_CPU(int, cpu_priv_count);

@@ -95,6 +90,7 @@ static struct cpu_debug_range cpu_reg_range[] = {
{ 0x00000088, 0x0000008A, CPU_CACHE, },
{ 0x0000008B, 0x0000008B, CPU_BIOS, },
{ 0x0000009B, 0x0000009B, CPU_MONITOR, },
+ { 0x000000A0, 0x000000A1, CPU_SMM, },
{ 0x000000C1, 0x000000C4, CPU_PMC, },
{ 0x000000CD, 0x000000CD, CPU_FREQ, },
{ 0x000000E7, 0x000000E8, CPU_PERF, },
@@ -103,40 +99,49 @@ static struct cpu_debug_range cpu_reg_range[] = {
{ 0x00000116, 0x0000011E, CPU_CACHE, },
{ 0x00000174, 0x00000176, CPU_SYSENTER, },
{ 0x00000179, 0x0000017B, CPU_MC, },
+ { 0x00000180, 0x00000185, CPU_MC, },
{ 0x00000186, 0x00000189, CPU_PMC, },
{ 0x00000198, 0x00000199, CPU_PERF, },
{ 0x0000019A, 0x0000019A, CPU_TIME, },
{ 0x0000019B, 0x0000019D, CPU_THERM, },
{ 0x000001A0, 0x000001A0, CPU_MISC, },
- { 0x000001C9, 0x000001C9, CPU_LBRANCH, },
+ { 0x000001A1, 0x000001A1, CPU_PLATFORM, },
+ { 0x000001A2, 0x000001A2, CPU_THERM, },
+ { 0x000001A6, 0x000001A6, CPU_PMC, },
+ { 0x000001AD, 0x000001AD, CPU_FREQ, },
+ { 0x000001C8, 0x000001C9, CPU_LBRANCH, },
{ 0x000001D7, 0x000001D8, CPU_LBRANCH, },
{ 0x000001D9, 0x000001D9, CPU_DEBUG, },
{ 0x000001DA, 0x000001E0, CPU_LBRANCH, },
+ { 0x000001F2, 0x000001F3, CPU_SMM, },

{ 0x00000200, 0x0000020F, CPU_MTRR, },
{ 0x00000250, 0x00000250, CPU_MTRR, },
{ 0x00000258, 0x00000259, CPU_MTRR, },
{ 0x00000268, 0x0000026F, CPU_MTRR, },
{ 0x00000277, 0x00000277, CPU_PAT, },
+ { 0x00000280, 0x00000288, CPU_MC, },
{ 0x000002FF, 0x000002FF, CPU_MTRR, },

{ 0x00000300, 0x00000311, CPU_PMC, },
{ 0x00000345, 0x00000345, CPU_PMC, },
{ 0x00000360, 0x00000371, CPU_PMC, },
- { 0x0000038D, 0x00000390, CPU_PMC, },
+ { 0x0000038D, 0x00000396, CPU_PMC, },
{ 0x000003A0, 0x000003BE, CPU_PMC, },
{ 0x000003C0, 0x000003CD, CPU_PMC, },
{ 0x000003E0, 0x000003E1, CPU_PMC, },
- { 0x000003F0, 0x000003F2, CPU_PMC, },
+ { 0x000003F0, 0x000003FD, CPU_PMC, },

- { 0x00000400, 0x00000417, CPU_MC, },
+ { 0x00000400, 0x00000421, CPU_MC, },
{ 0x00000480, 0x0000048B, CPU_VMX, },

{ 0x00000600, 0x00000600, CPU_DEBUG, },
{ 0x00000680, 0x0000068F, CPU_LBRANCH, },
{ 0x000006C0, 0x000006CF, CPU_LBRANCH, },

- { 0x000107CC, 0x000107D3, CPU_PMC, },
+ { 0x00000800, 0x0000083F, CPU_APIC, },
+
+ { 0x000107CC, 0x000107D8, CPU_PMC, },

{ 0xC0000080, 0xC0000080, CPU_FEATURES, },
{ 0xC0000081, 0xC0000084, CPU_CALL, },
@@ -392,12 +397,12 @@ static int cpu_seq_show(struct seq_file *seq, void *v)
smp_call_function_single(priv->cpu, print_dt, seq, 1);
break;
case CPU_DEBUG:
- if (priv->file == CPU_INDEX_BIT)
+ if (priv->file == CPU_INDEX)
smp_call_function_single(priv->cpu, print_dr, seq, 1);
print_msr(seq, priv->cpu, cpu_base[priv->type].flag);
break;
case CPU_APIC:
- if (priv->file == CPU_INDEX_BIT)
+ if (priv->file == CPU_INDEX)
smp_call_function_single(priv->cpu, print_apic, seq, 1);
print_msr(seq, priv->cpu, cpu_base[priv->type].flag);
break;
@@ -475,7 +480,7 @@ static int write_cpu_register(struct cpu_private *priv, const char *buf)
return ret;

/* Supporting only MSRs */
- if (priv->type < CPU_TSS_BIT)
+ if (priv->type < CPU_TSS)
return write_msr(priv, val);

return ret;
@@ -518,7 +523,7 @@ static int cpu_create_file(unsigned cpu, unsigned type, unsigned reg,
struct cpu_private *priv = NULL;

/* Already intialized */
- if (file == CPU_INDEX_BIT)
+ if (file == CPU_INDEX)
if (per_cpu(cpu_arr[type].init, cpu))
return 0;

@@ -605,10 +610,10 @@ static int cpu_init_allreg(unsigned cpu, struct dentry *dentry)
cpu_dentry = debugfs_create_dir(cpu_base[type].name, dentry);
per_cpu(cpu_arr[type].dentry, cpu) = cpu_dentry;

- if (type < CPU_TSS_BIT)
+ if (type < CPU_TSS)
err = cpu_init_msr(cpu, type, cpu_dentry);
else
- err = cpu_create_file(cpu, type, 0, CPU_INDEX_BIT,
+ err = cpu_create_file(cpu, type, 0, CPU_INDEX,
cpu_dentry);
if (err)
return err;
@@ -637,8 +642,8 @@ static int cpu_init_cpu(void)
pr_info("cpu%d(%d) debug files %d\n",
cpu, nr_cpu_ids, per_cpu(cpu_priv_count, cpu));
if (per_cpu(cpu_priv_count, cpu) > MAX_CPU_FILES) {
- pr_err("Register files count %d exceeds limit %d\n",
- per_cpu(cpu_priv_count, cpu), MAX_CPU_FILES);
+ WARN_ONCE(1, "debug files count %d exceeds limit %d\n",
+ per_cpu(cpu_priv_count, cpu), MAX_CPU_FILES);
per_cpu(cpu_priv_count, cpu) = MAX_CPU_FILES;
err = -ENFILE;
}
@@ -671,6 +676,6 @@ static void __exit cpu_debug_exit(void)
module_init(cpu_debug_init);
module_exit(cpu_debug_exit);

-MODULE_AUTHOR("Jaswinder Singh Rajput");
+MODULE_AUTHOR("Jaswinder Singh Rajput <[email protected]>");
MODULE_DESCRIPTION("CPU Debug module");
MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");


2009-06-08 08:39:56

by Ingo Molnar

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [GIT-PULL -tip] x86: xpu_debug patches


* Jaswinder Singh Rajput <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ingo,
>
> Please pull cpu_debug patches :
>
> The following changes since commit 5095f59bda6793a7b8f0856096d6893fe98e0e51:
> Jaswinder Singh Rajput (1):
> x86: cpu_debug: Remove model information to reduce encoding-decoding
>
> are available in the git repository at:
>
> git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jaswinder/linux-2.6-cpu.git x86/cpu
>
> Jaswinder Singh Rajput (5):
> x86: cpu_debug update Kconfig entry
> x86: cpu_debug.c remove some not required header files
> x86: cpu_debug.c use a WARN_ONCE() instead of a pr_err()
> x86: cpu_debug make room to support more categories
> x86: cpu_debug update MSR list to support new architectures
>
> arch/x86/Kconfig | 12 ++++-
> arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_debug.h | 102 +++++++++++++-------------------------
> arch/x86/kernel/cpu/cpu_debug.c | 45 +++++++++-------
> 3 files changed, 70 insertions(+), 89 deletions(-)
>
> Complete diff:
>
> diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
> index a6efe0a..cd2debd 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
> +++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
> @@ -955,9 +955,19 @@ config X86_CPUID
>
> config X86_CPU_DEBUG
> tristate "/sys/kernel/debug/x86/cpu/* - CPU Debug support"
> + select DEBUG_FS
> ---help---
> If you select this option, this will provide various x86 CPUs
> - information through debugfs.
> + information through debugfs. Any user can read these file but writing
> + needs root privilege.
> +
> + Note: 1. If you compile cpu_debug as a module, it will _not_ be loaded
> + automatically (like usual drivers). You will need to load it manually
> + (or add it to list of modules loaded during boot).
> +
> + 2. You need debugfs, if you want to mount debugfs automatically
> + append this line in /etc/fstab:
> + debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs defaults 0 0

Those look like good fixes - but before we start extending on all
this - a more general question has to be raised: do people find this
useful?

I had a look at the current /debug/x86/cpu*/ layout, and a fair
portion of it looks completely meaningless at the moment: there's a
lot of hexa fields with absolutely zero symbolic information about
what the fields actually mean.

There's a few good exceptions like /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/apic or
/debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/cr/cr, although even those should probably be
renamed to:

/debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/state
/debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/cr/state

as 'apic/apic' and 'cr/cr' is meaningless.

Or better yet, why isnt there a directory structure to known values:

/debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/LVTERR/value

?

This would allow the changing/reading of all known values.

The 'total state' could still be accessed easily as well, via:

cat /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/*/value

Paradoxically, all the _unknown_ values have a split out per
register layout. I.e. the namespace is bloated with a lot of
'unknown' state - while the 'known' (and printed/interpreted)
registers are hidden and collected into meaninglessly named files.
It should be exactly the other way around.

All in one, this code either needs to become useful in practice,
needs to provide a nice, structured, intuitive 'view' of the CPU's
current state (as known to the kernel) - or it should not be done at
all.

If we want a quirky interface we can use msr-tools and /sbin/rdmsr
just fine. So /debug/x86/cpu/ really has to become a strikingly
intuitive big step forward in terms of CPU state enumeration and
visualization, for it to make sense to be carried in the kernel.

Ingo

2009-06-08 09:09:29

by Jaswinder Singh Rajput

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [GIT-PULL -tip] x86: xpu_debug patches

On Mon, 2009-06-08 at 10:39 +0200, Ingo Molnar wrote:

> Those look like good fixes - but before we start extending on all
> this - a more general question has to be raised: do people find this
> useful?
>
> I had a look at the current /debug/x86/cpu*/ layout, and a fair
> portion of it looks completely meaningless at the moment: there's a
> lot of hexa fields with absolutely zero symbolic information about
> what the fields actually mean.
>

I am planning to send hex to MSR_hex in next series along with :-
1. IO_hex : (IO registers)
2. PCI_hex : (PCI defined configuration space)
3. APIC_hex : (APIC memory based registers)
4. CPUID_hex : (CPUID Instruction registers)
5. MSR_hex : MSRs

Which will give almost full information of CPU state and will be more
useful to users and developers.

> There's a few good exceptions like /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/apic or
> /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/cr/cr, although even those should probably be
> renamed to:
>
> /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/state
> /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/cr/state
>
> as 'apic/apic' and 'cr/cr' is meaningless.
>

OK, I will fix it.

> Or better yet, why isnt there a directory structure to known values:
>
> /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/LVTERR/value
>
> ?

Yes. I will also support it as I said above.

I am working on it, can you please pull this series, because these
patches was pending from more than one month. Once this patches will be
applied. I can work on next phase.

Thanks,
--
JSR

2009-06-10 15:56:53

by Jaswinder Singh Rajput

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: [GIT-PULL -tip] x86: xpu_debug patches

Hello Ingo,

On Mon, 2009-06-08 at 10:39 +0200, Ingo Molnar wrote:
> * Jaswinder Singh Rajput <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Ingo,
> >
> > Please pull cpu_debug patches :
> >
> > The following changes since commit 5095f59bda6793a7b8f0856096d6893fe98e0e51:
> > Jaswinder Singh Rajput (1):
> > x86: cpu_debug: Remove model information to reduce encoding-decoding
> >
> > are available in the git repository at:
> >
> > git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jaswinder/linux-2.6-cpu.git x86/cpu
> >
> > Jaswinder Singh Rajput (5):
> > x86: cpu_debug update Kconfig entry
> > x86: cpu_debug.c remove some not required header files
> > x86: cpu_debug.c use a WARN_ONCE() instead of a pr_err()
> > x86: cpu_debug make room to support more categories
> > x86: cpu_debug update MSR list to support new architectures
> >
> > arch/x86/Kconfig | 12 ++++-
> > arch/x86/include/asm/cpu_debug.h | 102 +++++++++++++-------------------------
> > arch/x86/kernel/cpu/cpu_debug.c | 45 +++++++++-------
> > 3 files changed, 70 insertions(+), 89 deletions(-)
> >
> > Complete diff:
> >
> > diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
> > index a6efe0a..cd2debd 100644
> > --- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
> > +++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
> > @@ -955,9 +955,19 @@ config X86_CPUID
> >
> > config X86_CPU_DEBUG
> > tristate "/sys/kernel/debug/x86/cpu/* - CPU Debug support"
> > + select DEBUG_FS
> > ---help---
> > If you select this option, this will provide various x86 CPUs
> > - information through debugfs.
> > + information through debugfs. Any user can read these file but writing
> > + needs root privilege.
> > +
> > + Note: 1. If you compile cpu_debug as a module, it will _not_ be loaded
> > + automatically (like usual drivers). You will need to load it manually
> > + (or add it to list of modules loaded during boot).
> > +
> > + 2. You need debugfs, if you want to mount debugfs automatically
> > + append this line in /etc/fstab:
> > + debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs defaults 0 0
>
> Those look like good fixes - but before we start extending on all
> this - a more general question has to be raised: do people find this
> useful?
>
> I had a look at the current /debug/x86/cpu*/ layout, and a fair
> portion of it looks completely meaningless at the moment: there's a
> lot of hexa fields with absolutely zero symbolic information about
> what the fields actually mean.
>
> There's a few good exceptions like /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/apic or
> /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/cr/cr, although even those should probably be
> renamed to:
>
> /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/state
> /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/cr/state
>
> as 'apic/apic' and 'cr/cr' is meaningless.
>
> Or better yet, why isnt there a directory structure to known values:
>
> /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/LVTERR/value
>
> ?
>
> This would allow the changing/reading of all known values.
>
> The 'total state' could still be accessed easily as well, via:
>
> cat /debug/x86/cpu/cpu0/apic/*/value
>
> Paradoxically, all the _unknown_ values have a split out per
> register layout. I.e. the namespace is bloated with a lot of
> 'unknown' state - while the 'known' (and printed/interpreted)
> registers are hidden and collected into meaninglessly named files.
> It should be exactly the other way around.
>

I tried to fix few of the issues you pointed and send new pull request,
Can you please pull it :

[git-pull -tip] cpu_debug patches 20090610

> All in one, this code either needs to become useful in practice,
> needs to provide a nice, structured, intuitive 'view' of the CPU's
> current state (as known to the kernel) - or it should not be done at
> all.
>
> If we want a quirky interface we can use msr-tools and /sbin/rdmsr
> just fine. So /debug/x86/cpu/ really has to become a strikingly
> intuitive big step forward in terms of CPU state enumeration and
> visualization, for it to make sense to be carried in the kernel.
>

I am adding more features in cpu_debug to make it more useful.

Thanks,
--
JSR