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From:   "Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@kernel.org>
To:     linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-arch@vger.kernel.org,
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Cc:     stern@rowland.harvard.edu, parri.andrea@gmail.com, will@kernel.org,
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        akiyks@gmail.com, Manfred Spraul <manfred@colorfullife.com>,
        "Paul E . McKenney" <paulmck@kernel.org>
Subject: [PATCH memory-model 3/4] tools/memory-model: Heuristics using data_race() must handle all values
Date:   Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:10:02 -0700
Message-Id: <20210721211003.869892-3-paulmck@kernel.org>
In-Reply-To: <20210721210726.GA828672@paulmck-ThinkPad-P17-Gen-1>
References: <20210721210726.GA828672@paulmck-ThinkPad-P17-Gen-1>
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From: Manfred Spraul <manfred@colorfullife.com>

Data loaded for use by some sorts of heuristics can tolerate the
occasional erroneous value.  In this case the loads may use data_race()
to give the compiler full freedom to optimize while also informing KCSAN
of the intent.  However, for this to work, the heuristic needs to be
able to tolerate any erroneous value that could possibly arise.  This
commit therefore adds a paragraph spelling this out.

Signed-off-by: Manfred Spraul <manfred@colorfullife.com>
Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@kernel.org>
---
 tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt b/tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt
index be7d507997cf8..fe4ad6d12d24c 100644
--- a/tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt
+++ b/tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ consistent errors, which in turn are quite capable of breaking heuristics.
 Therefore use of data_race() should be limited to cases where some other
 code (such as a barrier() call) will force the occasional reload.
 
+Note that this use case requires that the heuristic be able to handle
+any possible error.  In contrast, if the heuristics might be fatally
+confused by one or more of the possible erroneous values, use READ_ONCE()
+instead of data_race().
+
 In theory, plain C-language loads can also be used for this use case.
 However, in practice this will have the disadvantage of causing KCSAN
 to generate false positives because KCSAN will have no way of knowing
-- 
2.31.1.189.g2e36527f23