pagetables used in interrupt context

[subin gangadharan]

Hi ,

> can support nest interrupt if it wants(2.6.35 does not support this). and it
> is very simple to use the interrupted thread's kernel mode stack as the
> interrupt context. if kernel use a specific stack which is for interrupt

Thanks for the crystal clear explanation of the page table usage in
interrupt context. I have one more doubt, so in 2.6.35 as you said it
doesn't support
nested interrupt, does it mean that all other interrupts are
completely disabled, (I mean no other can interrupt the processor)
while executing an interrupt handler.



2012/2/23 卜弋天 <buyit at live.cn>:
> Hi :
>
>     for ARM architecture, from the point of my view, interrupt can be
> handled in IRQ, SVC, or SYSTEM modes.
>     1.if kernel handles interrupt in IRQ mode, it can use separate specific
> stack of IRQ mode to handle interrupt,but it cannot support nest interupt,
> suppose you are running interrupt handler in IRQ mode, a new coming
> interrupt will corrupt the lr_irq which is used for current function.
>     2. if kernel handles interrupt in SYSTEM mode, the sequences will be :
> hardware interrupt occurs-->IRQ mode-->SYSTEM mode -->call
> interrupt handler.
>        kernel can support nest interrupt well by this way, the problem is
> SYSTEM mode use the same register with USER mode, which means kernel will
> use the  interrupted thread's user mode stack, this will leake information
> of kernel to user space, so it is not a good idea, although i did this for
> many years for OMAP chipset(the OS is not linux, it is mixed by REX and my
> own design.).
>     3. Linux kernel choose the last one, handle interrupt in SVC mode, which
> can support nest interrupt if it wants(2.6.35 does not support this). and it
> is very simple to use the interrupted thread's kernel mode stack as the
> interrupt context. if kernel use a specific stack which is for interrupt
> only, the sequences will be : hardware interrupt occurs-->IRQ mode-->SVC
> mode-->backup sp register of interrupted thread to it's TCB--->set sp
> register to be the specific kernel stack address-->call interrupt
> handler--->restore sp of interrupted thread--->return from interrupt.
>         this is a little complicated compared with the current design. so i
> agree with the current design.
>
>
> Best Regards
>
>> Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:41:28 -0600
>
>> Subject: Re: pagetables used in interrupt context
>> From: c.a.subramaniam at gmail.com
>> To: buyit at live.cn
>> CC: dhylands at gmail.com; subingangadharan at gmail.com;
>> kernelnewbies at kernelnewbies.org
>
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 6:52 AM, 卜弋天 <buyit at live.cn> wrote:
>> > Hi Subin:
>> >
>> > for kernel version 2.6.35, ARM architecture, when interrupt occurs,
>> > kernel will change from USER/SVC mode to IRQ mode,backup some registers
>> > and
>> > change to SVC mode immediately, handle the real interrupt handler in SVC
>> > mode, which people say in interrupt context.
>> > kernel will use the stack(interrupt context) of interrupted thread to
>> > handle the interrupt, and there is no MMU operation which do page table
>> > switch.
>> > so the thread which is interrupted by interrupt, it's kernel mode stack
>> > will be choosed as the interrupt context of current interrupt.
>> >
>> Thanks ! thats a terse explanation! Can you please mention why we do
>> not have a IRQ stack (in terms of size of the stack) to do the
>> processing?
>> >
>> >> Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:18:32 -0700
>> >> Subject: Re: pagetables used in interrupt context
>> >> From: subingangadharan at gmail.com
>> >> To: dhylands at gmail.com
>> >> CC: kernelnewbies at kernelnewbies.org
>> >
>> >>
>> >> Thank you for clearing my doubt.
>> >>
>> >> On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 8:39 PM, Dave Hylands <dhylands at gmail.com>
>> >> wrote:
>> >> > Hi Subin,
>> >> >
>> >> > On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 6:47 PM, subin gangadharan
>> >> > <subingangadharan at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> >> Hi All,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Please correct me if I am wrong. In linux each process will have its
>> >> >> own page tables, so when a interrupt happens processor will switch
>> >> >> to
>> >> >> interrupt context
>> >> >> and execute the proper handler. So my doubt, if this is the case,
>> >> >> interrupt hanlder will be using the pagetables of the interrupted
>> >> >> process or is there a separate page table for this.
>> >> >
>> >> > Yep - that's right. Conceptually you can imagine that the kernel page
>> >> > tables are replicated in each process, so when the interrupt occurs,
>> >> > the kernel mappings will always be in effect regardless of which task
>> >> > is running. How this is actually achieved may vary from architecture
>> >> > to architecture.
>> >> >
>> >> > --
>> >> > Dave Hylands
>> >> > Shuswap, BC, Canada
>> >> > http://www.davehylands.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> With Regards
>> >> Subin Gangadharan
>> >>
>> >> I am not afraid and I am also not afraid of being afraid.
>> >>
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-- 
With Regards
Subin Gangadharan

I am not afraid and I am also not afraid of being afraid.