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author | Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org> | 2024-04-27 10:05:51 +0000 |
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committer | Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org> | 2024-04-27 10:05:51 +0000 |
commit | 5d1646d90e1f2cceb9f0828f4b28318cd0ec7744 (patch) | |
tree | a94efe259b9009378be6d90eb30d2b019d95c194 /Documentation/powerpc/dawr-power9.rst | |
parent | Initial commit. (diff) | |
download | linux-upstream/5.10.209.tar.xz linux-upstream/5.10.209.zip |
Adding upstream version 5.10.209.upstream/5.10.209upstream
Signed-off-by: Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>
Diffstat (limited to '')
-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/powerpc/dawr-power9.rst | 93 |
1 files changed, 93 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/powerpc/dawr-power9.rst b/Documentation/powerpc/dawr-power9.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..c96ab6bef --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/powerpc/dawr-power9.rst @@ -0,0 +1,93 @@ +===================== +DAWR issues on POWER9 +===================== + +On POWER9 the Data Address Watchpoint Register (DAWR) can cause a checkstop +if it points to cache inhibited (CI) memory. Currently Linux has no way to +disinguish CI memory when configuring the DAWR, so (for now) the DAWR is +disabled by this commit:: + + commit 9654153158d3e0684a1bdb76dbababdb7111d5a0 + Author: Michael Neuling <mikey@neuling.org> + Date: Tue Mar 27 15:37:24 2018 +1100 + powerpc: Disable DAWR in the base POWER9 CPU features + +Technical Details: +================== + +DAWR has 6 different ways of being set. +1) ptrace +2) h_set_mode(DAWR) +3) h_set_dabr() +4) kvmppc_set_one_reg() +5) xmon + +For ptrace, we now advertise zero breakpoints on POWER9 via the +PPC_PTRACE_GETHWDBGINFO call. This results in GDB falling back to +software emulation of the watchpoint (which is slow). + +h_set_mode(DAWR) and h_set_dabr() will now return an error to the +guest on a POWER9 host. Current Linux guests ignore this error, so +they will silently not get the DAWR. + +kvmppc_set_one_reg() will store the value in the vcpu but won't +actually set it on POWER9 hardware. This is done so we don't break +migration from POWER8 to POWER9, at the cost of silently losing the +DAWR on the migration. + +For xmon, the 'bd' command will return an error on P9. + +Consequences for users +====================== + +For GDB watchpoints (ie 'watch' command) on POWER9 bare metal , GDB +will accept the command. Unfortunately since there is no hardware +support for the watchpoint, GDB will software emulate the watchpoint +making it run very slowly. + +The same will also be true for any guests started on a POWER9 +host. The watchpoint will fail and GDB will fall back to software +emulation. + +If a guest is started on a POWER8 host, GDB will accept the watchpoint +and configure the hardware to use the DAWR. This will run at full +speed since it can use the hardware emulation. Unfortunately if this +guest is migrated to a POWER9 host, the watchpoint will be lost on the +POWER9. Loads and stores to the watchpoint locations will not be +trapped in GDB. The watchpoint is remembered, so if the guest is +migrated back to the POWER8 host, it will start working again. + +Force enabling the DAWR +======================= +Kernels (since ~v5.2) have an option to force enable the DAWR via:: + + echo Y > /sys/kernel/debug/powerpc/dawr_enable_dangerous + +This enables the DAWR even on POWER9. + +This is a dangerous setting, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. + +Some users may not care about a bad user crashing their box +(ie. single user/desktop systems) and really want the DAWR. This +allows them to force enable DAWR. + +This flag can also be used to disable DAWR access. Once this is +cleared, all DAWR access should be cleared immediately and your +machine once again safe from crashing. + +Userspace may get confused by toggling this. If DAWR is force +enabled/disabled between getting the number of breakpoints (via +PTRACE_GETHWDBGINFO) and setting the breakpoint, userspace will get an +inconsistent view of what's available. Similarly for guests. + +For the DAWR to be enabled in a KVM guest, the DAWR needs to be force +enabled in the host AND the guest. For this reason, this won't work on +POWERVM as it doesn't allow the HCALL to work. Writes of 'Y' to the +dawr_enable_dangerous file will fail if the hypervisor doesn't support +writing the DAWR. + +To double check the DAWR is working, run this kernel selftest: + + tools/testing/selftests/powerpc/ptrace/ptrace-hwbreak.c + +Any errors/failures/skips mean something is wrong. |