[PATCH] arm64: smp: Add a memory barrier before we start secondary cores

[Catalin Marinas]

On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 12:47:17PM +0000, Mark Brown wrote:
> On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 12:27:28PM +0000, Will Deacon wrote:
> > On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 11:46:34AM +0000, Mark Brown wrote:
> 
> > > Ensure that memory writes will be visible to the newly started core by
> > > inserting a write barrier prior to starting. This adds robustness against
> > > possible incomplete synchronisation of state.
> 
> > This is very vague. I still don't understand what this is being used for.
> 
> Me either to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure why Catalin had suggested
> it.

Just in case some other CPU reads cpu_online mask (which is set before
complete) and also expects the topology to be up to date for that CPU.

> > Without a concrete example of precisely why this is required, I'm not at all
> > happy taking patches adding random memory barriers.
> 
> That's fine by me, I've no attachment to this.

I think we can drop this until Vincent clarifies the synchronisation
requirements (still wondering whether spinlocks are needed).

-- 
Catalin