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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/atomic_bitops.txt')
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diff --git a/Documentation/atomic_bitops.txt b/Documentation/atomic_bitops.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..edea4656c --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/atomic_bitops.txt @@ -0,0 +1,69 @@ +============= +Atomic bitops +============= + +While our bitmap_{}() functions are non-atomic, we have a number of operations +operating on single bits in a bitmap that are atomic. + + +API +--- + +The single bit operations are: + +Non-RMW ops: + + test_bit() + +RMW atomic operations without return value: + + {set,clear,change}_bit() + clear_bit_unlock() + +RMW atomic operations with return value: + + test_and_{set,clear,change}_bit() + test_and_set_bit_lock() + +Barriers: + + smp_mb__{before,after}_atomic() + + +All RMW atomic operations have a '__' prefixed variant which is non-atomic. + + +SEMANTICS +--------- + +Non-atomic ops: + +In particular __clear_bit_unlock() suffers the same issue as atomic_set(), +which is why the generic version maps to clear_bit_unlock(), see atomic_t.txt. + + +RMW ops: + +The test_and_{}_bit() operations return the original value of the bit. + + +ORDERING +-------- + +Like with atomic_t, the rule of thumb is: + + - non-RMW operations are unordered; + + - RMW operations that have no return value are unordered; + + - RMW operations that have a return value are fully ordered. + + - RMW operations that are conditional are fully ordered. + +Except for a successful test_and_set_bit_lock() which has ACQUIRE semantics, +clear_bit_unlock() which has RELEASE semantics and test_bit_acquire which has +ACQUIRE semantics. + +Since a platform only has a single means of achieving atomic operations +the same barriers as for atomic_t are used, see atomic_t.txt. + |