Just made a minor update to Documentation/networking/netdevices.txt, and
thought I would take the opportunity to pass it around once again.
Even though this doc has existed for quite a while now, I still come
across code that loves to violate these locking rules in various ways.
Comments and additions welcome
Jeff
Network Devices, the Kernel, and You!
Introduction
============
The following is a random collection of documentation regarding
network devices.
struct net_device synchronization rules
=======================================
dev->open:
Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
Context: process
dev->stop:
Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
Context: process
Note1: netif_running() is guaranteed false
Note2: dev->poll() is guaranteed to be stopped
dev->do_ioctl:
Synchronization: rtnl_lock() semaphore.
Context: process
dev->get_stats:
Synchronization: dev_base_lock rwlock.
Context: nominally process, but don't sleep inside an rwlock
dev->hard_start_xmit:
Synchronization: dev->xmit_lock spinlock.
Context: BHs disabled
Notes: netif_queue_stopped() is guaranteed false
dev->tx_timeout:
Synchronization: dev->xmit_lock spinlock.
Context: BHs disabled
Notes: netif_queue_stopped() is guaranteed true
dev->set_multicast_list:
Synchronization: dev->xmit_lock spinlock.
Context: BHs disabled
dev->poll:
Synchronization: __LINK_STATE_RX_SCHED bit in dev->state. See
dev_close code and comments in net/core/dev.c for more info.
Context: softirq
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