2003-06-16 18:26:54

by peter enderborg

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: vmware strange scheduling priority

Im playing with vmware 4.0 workstation. And it do some strange things.
I start vmware with nice and I got this:
26499 pme 19 19 95980 93M 95020 R N 12 32.6 24.8 8:55
vmware-vmx
26439 pme 19 19 8416 8008 7692 R N 8 3.2 2.0 2:02
vmware-vmx
26492 pme 6 -10 95980 93M 95020 R < 12 2.6 24.8 0:34
vmware-vmx
26409 pme 19 19 4900 3916 2484 S N 0 1.0 1.0 0:29 vmware
26433 pme 5 -10 8416 8008 7692 S < 8 0.5 2.0 0:29
vmware-vmx
26493 pme 5 -10 8056 7268 6988 S < 0 0.5 1.8 0:20
vmware-mks
26495 pme 9 0 67672 65M 66888 S 0 0.2 17.4 0:11
vmware-vmx


It have changed the prioority to -10 for some of its own tasks. How can
that be done? Its a non suid binary started
by a normal user. It's very ugly, but Im more intressted in how it can
be done.
The kernel is a 2.4.20.


2003-06-16 18:38:11

by Antonio Vargas

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: vmware strange scheduling priority

On Mon, Jun 16, 2003 at 08:39:38PM +0200, Peter Enderborg wrote:
> Im playing with vmware 4.0 workstation. And it do some strange
> things.
> I start vmware with nice and I got this:
> 26499 pme 19 19 95980 93M 95020 R N 12 32.6 24.8 8:55
> vmware-vmx
> 26439 pme 19 19 8416 8008 7692 R N 8 3.2 2.0 2:02
> vmware-vmx
> 26492 pme 6 -10 95980 93M 95020 R < 12 2.6 24.8 0:34
> vmware-vmx
> 26409 pme 19 19 4900 3916 2484 S N 0 1.0 1.0 0:29
> vmware
> 26433 pme 5 -10 8416 8008 7692 S < 8 0.5 2.0 0:29
> vmware-vmx
> 26493 pme 5 -10 8056 7268 6988 S < 0 0.5 1.8 0:20
> vmware-mks
> 26495 pme 9 0 67672 65M 66888 S 0 0.2 17.4 0:11
> vmware-vmx
>
>
> It have changed the prioority to -10 for some of its own tasks. How
> can that be done? Its a non suid binary started
> by a normal user. It's very ugly, but Im more intressted in how it
> can be done.
> The kernel is a 2.4.20.

pure guessing here...
vmware relies on having kernel modules instaled.. perhaps
the do an ioctl to enter the module and then they spin
off some threads with nice -10 from inside?

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2003-06-16 19:18:04

by Petr Vandrovec

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: vmware strange scheduling priority

On 15 Jun 03 at 20:59, Antonio Vargas wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 16, 2003 at 08:39:38PM +0200, Peter Enderborg wrote:
> > Im playing with vmware 4.0 workstation. And it do some strange
> > things.
> > I start vmware with nice and I got this:
> > 26499 pme 19 19 95980 93M 95020 R N 12 32.6 24.8 8:55
> > vmware-vmx
> > 26439 pme 19 19 8416 8008 7692 R N 8 3.2 2.0 2:02
> > vmware-vmx
> > 26492 pme 6 -10 95980 93M 95020 R < 12 2.6 24.8 0:34
> > vmware-vmx
> > 26409 pme 19 19 4900 3916 2484 S N 0 1.0 1.0 0:29
> > vmware
> > 26433 pme 5 -10 8416 8008 7692 S < 8 0.5 2.0 0:29
> > vmware-vmx
> > 26493 pme 5 -10 8056 7268 6988 S < 0 0.5 1.8 0:20
> > vmware-mks
> > 26495 pme 9 0 67672 65M 66888 S 0 0.2 17.4 0:11
> > vmware-vmx
> >
> >
> > It have changed the prioority to -10 for some of its own tasks. How
> > can that be done? Its a non suid binary started
> > by a normal user. It's very ugly, but Im more intressted in how it
> > can be done.
> > The kernel is a 2.4.20.
>
> pure guessing here...
> vmware relies on having kernel modules instaled.. perhaps
> the do an ioctl to enter the module and then they spin
> off some threads with nice -10 from inside?

Nope. vmware-vmx is suid...
Petr Vandrovec
[email protected]

P.S.: And if you play with default priority for VMware, do not
complain that it is slow as a molase...