cpu_relax(), rep: nop, and PAUSE

[Mulyadi Santosa]

On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 7:20 PM, David Shwatrz <dshwatrz at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi, kernel newbies,
>
> We have:
> #define cpu_relax()     asm volatile("rep; nop")
> in arch/x86/boot/boot.h.
>
> Why don't we use the PAUSE assembler instruction here ?

Just guessing, maybe rep+nop could do better power saving because
processor is considered as idle.



-- 
regards,

Mulyadi Santosa
Freelance Linux trainer and consultant

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