baebdf48c3
Dave suggested a while ago (eleven years by now) "Let's make netif_rx() work in all contexts and get rid of netif_rx_ni()". Eric agreed and pointed out that modern devices should use netif_receive_skb() to avoid the overhead. In the meantime someone added another variant, netif_rx_any_context(), which behaves as suggested. netif_rx() must be invoked with disabled bottom halves to ensure that pending softirqs, which were raised within the function, are handled. netif_rx_ni() can be invoked only from process context (bottom halves must be enabled) because the function handles pending softirqs without checking if bottom halves were disabled or not. netif_rx_any_context() invokes on the former functions by checking in_interrupts(). netif_rx() could be taught to handle both cases (disabled and enabled bottom halves) by simply disabling bottom halves while invoking netif_rx_internal(). The local_bh_enable() invocation will then invoke pending softirqs only if the BH-disable counter drops to zero. Eric is concerned about the overhead of BH-disable+enable especially in regard to the loopback driver. As critical as this driver is, it will receive a shortcut to avoid the additional overhead which is not needed. Add a local_bh_disable() section in netif_rx() to ensure softirqs are handled if needed. Provide __netif_rx() which does not disable BH and has a lockdep assert to ensure that interrupts are disabled. Use this shortcut in the loopback driver and in drivers/net/*.c. Make netif_rx_ni() and netif_rx_any_context() invoke netif_rx() so they can be removed once they are no more users left. Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/20100415.020246.218622820.davem@davemloft.net Signed-off-by: Sebastian Andrzej Siewior <bigeasy@linutronix.de> Reviewed-by: Eric Dumazet <edumazet@google.com> Reviewed-by: Toke Høiland-Jørgensen <toke@redhat.com> Signed-off-by: David S. Miller <davem@davemloft.net>
Linux kernel
============
There are several guides for kernel developers and users. These guides can
be rendered in a number of formats, like HTML and PDF. Please read
Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst first.
In order to build the documentation, use ``make htmldocs`` or
``make pdfdocs``. The formatted documentation can also be read online at:
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/
There are various text files in the Documentation/ subdirectory,
several of them using the Restructured Text markup notation.
Please read the Documentation/process/changes.rst file, as it contains the
requirements for building and running the kernel, and information about
the problems which may result by upgrading your kernel.