[Fwd: Bug: 2.2.12 still hangs PPC after some PPP activity]

[Geert Uytterhoeven]

On Wed, 29 Sep 1999, Lou Langholtz wrote:
> What might happen if a driver does:

point A

> save_flags(old_flags);
> cli();
> restore_flags(old_flags);
> save_flags(new_flags);
> cli();
> restore_flags(new_flags);

point B

> /* can't we be interupted here? Assume yes, if so */
> restore_flags(old_flags);

point C

> seems like this might introduce a bug if we could get interrupted after the
> restore of the new_flags but before the second restore of old flags in such a
> way such that the proper state of old_flags could change. I'm not comfortable
> enough though with my understanding of interrupts and driver routines to be
> certain one way or another. To be more specific, consider the case on just a
> single processor system. If this strikes anyone else as a possible race
> condition that could introduce a bug, then this is what we need to fix in
> macserial.c's rs_write routine since this code can potentially happen.
> 
> Opinions??? Please clue me in anyway... this stuff's a kick! :-)

The interrupt mask register has the same contents at points A, B and C. Hence,
if we could be interrupt a point A, we can be interrupt at points B and C.

Greetings,

						Geert

--
Geert Uytterhoeven ----------------- Sony Suprastructure Center Europe (SUPC-E)
Geert.Uytterhoeven at sonycom.com ------------------- Sint Stevens Woluwestraat 55
Phone +32-2-7248648 Fax +32-2-7262686 ---------------- B-1130 Brussels, Belgium


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