Enable arm_global_timer for Zynq brakes boot

Michal Simek michal.simek at xilinx.com
Tue Aug 6 08:41:03 EDT 2013


On 08/06/2013 02:30 PM, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
> On 08/06/2013 11:18 AM, Michal Simek wrote:
>> On 08/06/2013 10:46 AM, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
>>> On 08/06/2013 03:28 AM, Sören Brinkmann wrote:
>>>> Hi Daniel,
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 07:48:04PM +0200, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
>>>>> On 08/01/2013 07:43 PM, Sören Brinkmann wrote:
>>>>>> On Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 07:29:12PM +0200, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
>>>>>>> On 08/01/2013 01:38 AM, Sören Brinkmann wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 01:01:27AM +0200, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 08/01/2013 12:18 AM, Sören Brinkmann wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On Wed, Jul 31, 2013 at 11:08:51PM +0200, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> On 07/31/2013 10:58 PM, Sören Brinkmann wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> On Wed, Jul 31, 2013 at 10:49:06PM +0200, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 07/31/2013 12:34 AM, Sören Brinkmann wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 10:47:15AM +0200, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 07/30/2013 02:03 AM, Sören Brinkmann wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi Daniel,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 02:51:49PM +0200, Daniel Lezcano wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (snip)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the CPUIDLE_FLAG_TIMER_STOP flag tells the cpuidle framework the local
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> timer will be stopped when entering to the idle state. In this case, the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cpuidle framework will call clockevents_notify(ENTER) and switches to a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> broadcast timer and will call clockevents_notify(EXIT) when exiting the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> idle state, switching the local timer back in use.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I've been thinking about this, trying to understand how this makes my
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> boot attempts on Zynq hang. IIUC, the wrongly provided TIMER_STOP flag
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> would make the timer core switch to a broadcast device even though it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wouldn't be necessary. But shouldn't it still work? It sounds like we do
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> something useless, but nothing wrong in a sense that it should result in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> breakage. I guess I'm missing something obvious. This timer system will
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> always remain a mystery to me.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Actually this more or less leads to the question: What is this
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 'broadcast timer'. I guess that is some clockevent device which is
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> common to all cores? (that would be the cadence_ttc for Zynq). Is the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> hang pointing to some issue with that driver?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you look at the /proc/timer_list, which timer is used for broadcasting ?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So, the correct run results (full output attached).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The vanilla kernel uses the twd timers as local timers and the TTC as
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> broadcast device:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Tick Device: mode:     1                                                         
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Broadcast device  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Clock Event Device: ttc_clockevent
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> When I remove the offending CPUIDLE flag and add the DT fragment to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> enable the global timer, the twd timers are still used as local timers
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and the broadcast device is the global timer:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Tick Device: mode:     1                                                         
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Broadcast device                                                                 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Clock Event Device: arm_global_timer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Again, since boot hangs in the actually broken case, I don't see way to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> obtain this information for that case.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Can't you use the maxcpus=1 option to ensure the system to boot up ?
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Right, that works. I forgot about that option after you mentioned, that
>>>>>>>>>>>> it is most likely not that useful.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Anyway, this are those sysfs files with an unmodified cpuidle driver and
>>>>>>>>>>>> the gt enabled and having maxcpus=1 set.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> /proc/timer_list:
>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Tick Device: mode:     1
>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Broadcast device
>>>>>>>>>>>> 	Clock Event Device: arm_global_timer
>>>>>>>>>>>> 	 max_delta_ns:   12884902005
>>>>>>>>>>>> 	 min_delta_ns:   1000
>>>>>>>>>>>> 	 mult:           715827876
>>>>>>>>>>>> 	 shift:          31
>>>>>>>>>>>> 	 mode:           3
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Here the mode is 3 (CLOCK_EVT_MODE_ONESHOT)
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> The previous timer_list output you gave me when removing the offending
>>>>>>>>>>> cpuidle flag, it was 1 (CLOCK_EVT_MODE_SHUTDOWN).
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Is it possible you try to get this output again right after onlining the
>>>>>>>>>>> cpu1 in order to check if the broadcast device switches to SHUTDOWN ?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> How do I do that? I tried to online CPU1 after booting with maxcpus=1
>>>>>>>>>> and that didn't end well:
>>>>>>>>>> 	# echo 1 > online && cat /proc/timer_list 
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hmm, I was hoping to have a small delay before the kernel hangs but
>>>>>>>>> apparently this is not the case... :(
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I suspect the global timer is shutdown at one moment but I don't
>>>>>>>>> understand why and when.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Can you add a stack trace in the "clockevents_shutdown" function with
>>>>>>>>> the clockevent device name ? Perhaps, we may see at boot time an
>>>>>>>>> interesting trace when it hangs.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I did this change:
>>>>>>>> 	diff --git a/kernel/time/clockevents.c b/kernel/time/clockevents.c
>>>>>>>> 	index 38959c8..3ab11c1 100644
>>>>>>>> 	--- a/kernel/time/clockevents.c
>>>>>>>> 	+++ b/kernel/time/clockevents.c
>>>>>>>> 	@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ void clockevents_set_mode(struct clock_event_device *dev,
>>>>>>>> 	  */
>>>>>>>> 	 void clockevents_shutdown(struct clock_event_device *dev)
>>>>>>>> 	 {
>>>>>>>> 	+       pr_info("ce->name:%s\n", dev->name);
>>>>>>>> 	+       dump_stack();
>>>>>>>> 	        clockevents_set_mode(dev, CLOCK_EVT_MODE_SHUTDOWN);
>>>>>>>> 	        dev->next_event.tv64 = KTIME_MAX;
>>>>>>>> 	 }
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> It is hit a few times during boot, so I attach a full boot log. I really
>>>>>>>> don't know what to look for, but I hope you can spot something in it. I
>>>>>>>> really appreciate you taking the time.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks for the traces.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sure.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If you try without the ttc_clockevent configured in the kernel (but with
>>>>>>> twd and gt), does it boot ?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Absence of the TTC doesn't seem to make any difference. It hangs at the
>>>>>> same location.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ok, IMO there is a problem with the broadcast device registration (may
>>>>> be vs twd).
>>>>>
>>>>> I will check later (kid duty) :)
>>>>
>>>> I was actually waiting for an update from your side and did something
>>>> else, but I seem to have run into this again. I was overhauling the
>>>> cadence_ttc (patch attached, based on tip/timers/core). And it seems to
>>>> show the same behavior as enabling the global_timer. With cpuidle off, it
>>>> works. With cpuidle, on it hangs. Removing the TIMER_STOP flag from the
>>>> C2 state makes it boot again.
>>>> It works just fine on our 3.10 kernel.
>>>
>>> This is not necessary related to the bug. If the patch you sent broke
>>> the cadence_ttc driver, when you use it (with the TIMER_STOP), you will
>>> be stuck. Removing the flag, may signifies you don't use the broadcast
>>> timer, hence the bug is not surfacing.
>>>
>>> Going back to the bug with the arm_global_timer, what is observed is the
>>> broadcast timer is *shutdown* when the second cpu is online.
>>>
>>> I have to dig into the kernel/time/clockevents.c|tick-*.c because IMO
>>> the issue is coming from there but before I have to reproduce the bug,
>>> so find a board I have where I can add the arm_global_timer.
>>>
>>>> Another thing I noticed - probably unrelated but hard to tell: On
>>>> 3.11-rc1 and later my system stops for quite some time at the hand off
>>>> to userspace. I.e. I see the 'freeing unused kernel memory...' line and
>>>> sometimes the following 'Welcome to Buildroot...' and then it stops and
>>>> on good kernels it continues after a while and boots through and on bad
>>>> ones it just hangs there.
>>>
>>> did you try to dump the stacks with magic-sysrq ? Or git bisect ?
>>
>> Soren: Are you able to replicate this issue on QEMU?
>> If yes, it should be the best if you can provide Qemu, kernel .config/
>> rootfs and simple manual to Daniel how to reach that fault.
> 
> I tried to download qemu for zynq but it fails:
> 
> git clone git://git.xilinx.com/qemu-xarm.git
> Cloning into 'qemu-xarm'...
> fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly

Not sure which site have you found but
it should be just qemu.git
https://github.com/Xilinx/qemu

or github clone.

> 
> I am also looking for the option specified for the kernel:
> 
> "The kernel needs to be built with this feature turned on (in
> menuconfig, System Type->Xilinx Specific Features -> Device Tree At
> Fixed Address)."


This also sound like a very ancient tree.
This is the latest kernel tree - master-next is the latest devel branch.
https://github.com/Xilinx/linux-xlnx

Or there should be an option to use the latest kernel from kernel.org.
(I think Soren is using it)

Zynq is the part of multiplatfrom kernel and cadence ttc is there,
dts is also in the mainline kernel.

> ps : apart that, well documented website !

Can you send me the link to it?

This should be the main page for it.
http://www.wiki.xilinx.com/

Thanks,
Michal





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