[RFC PATCH V1] watchdog: Add boot-time selection for hard lockup detector

[Ian Rogers]

On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 11:14 PM Jinchao Wang <wangjinchao600 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 10:35:46PM -0700, Namhyung Kim wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 10:13:12PM -0700, Ian Rogers wrote:
> > > On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 6:47 PM Jinchao Wang <wangjinchao600 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 05:03:48PM -0700, Ian Rogers wrote:
> > > > > On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 7:51 AM Jinchao Wang <wangjinchao600 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Currently, the hard lockup detector is selected at compile time via
> > > > > > Kconfig, which requires a kernel rebuild to switch implementations.
> > > > > > This is inflexible, especially on systems where a perf event may not
> > > > > > be available or may be needed for other tasks.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This commit refactors the hard lockup detector to replace a rigid
> > > > > > compile-time choice with a flexible build-time and boot-time solution.
> > > > > > The patch supports building the kernel with either detector
> > > > > > independently, or with both. When both are built, a new boot parameter
> > > > > > `hardlockup_detector="perf|buddy"` allows the selection at boot time.
> > > > > > This is a more robust and user-friendly design.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This patch is a follow-up to the discussion on the kernel mailing list
> > > > > > regarding the preference and future of the hard lockup detectors. It
> > > > > > implements a flexible solution that addresses the community's need to
> > > > > > select an appropriate detector at boot time.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The core changes are:
> > > > > > - The `perf` and `buddy` watchdog implementations are separated into
> > > > > >   distinct functions (e.g., `watchdog_perf_hardlockup_enable`).
> > > > > > - Global function pointers are introduced (`watchdog_hardlockup_enable_ptr`)
> > > > > >   to serve as a single API for the entire feature.
> > > > > > - A new `hardlockup_detector=` boot parameter is added to allow the
> > > > > >   user to select the desired detector at boot time.
> > > > > > - The Kconfig options are simplified by removing the complex
> > > > > >   `HARDLOCKUP_DETECTOR_PREFER_BUDDY` and allowing both detectors to be
> > > > > >   built without mutual exclusion.
> > > > > > - The weak stubs are updated to call the new function pointers,
> > > > > >   centralizing the watchdog logic.
> > > > >
> > > > > What is the impact on  /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog ? Is that
> > > > > enabling and disabling whatever the boot time choice was? I'm not sure
> > > > > why this has to be a boot time option given the ability to configure
> > > > > via /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog.
> > > > The new hardlockup_detector boot parameter and the existing
> > > > /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog file serve different purposes.
> > > >
> > > > The boot parameter selects the type of hard lockup detector (perf or buddy).
> > > > This choice is made once at boot.
> > > >
> > > >  /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog, on the other hand, is only a simple on/off
> > > > switch for the currently selected detector. It does not change the detector's
> > > > type.
> > >
> > > So the name "nmi_watchdog" for the buddy watchdog is wrong for fairly
> > > obvious naming reasons but also because we can't differentiate when a
> > > perf event has been taken or not - this impacts perf that is choosing
> > > not to group events in metrics because of it, reducing the metric's
> > > accuracy. We need an equivalent "buddy_watchdog" file to the
> > > "nmi_watchdog" file. If we have such a file then if I did "echo 1 >
> > > /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog" I'd expect the buddy watchdog to be
> > > disabled and the perf event one to be enabled. Similarly, if I did
> > > "echo 1 > /proc/sys/kernel/buddy_watchdog" then I would expect the
> > > perf event watchdog to be disabled and the buddy one enabled. If I did
> > >  "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog; echo 0 >
> > > /proc/sys/kernel/buddy_watchdog" then I'd expect neither to be
> > > enabled. I don't see why choosing the type of watchdog implementation
> > > at boot time is particularly desirable. It seems sensible to default
> > > normal people to using the buddy watchdog (more perf events, power...)
> > > and  CONFIG_DEBUG_KERNEL type people to using the perf event one. As
> > > the "nmi_watchdog" file may be assumed to control the buddy watchdog,
> > > perhaps a compatibility option (where the "nmi_watchdog" file controls
> > > the buddy watchdog) is needed so that user code has time to migrate.
> >
> > Sounds good to me.  For perf tools, it'd be great if we can have a run-
> > time check which watchdog is selected.
> Considering backward compatibility, I prefer to keep
> /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog and introduce a new file called
> /proc/sys/kernel/hardlockup_detector_type, which only shows the default string
> or the boot parameter.

Is there code using the buddy watchdog that cares about the
/proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog file? My assumption is that everything
except Android is using the NMI watchdog, so a new
/proc/sys/kernel/buddy_watchdog file doesn't impact them. On Android
writing to /proc/sys/kernel/nmi_watchdog would switch from updating
the buddy watchdog enable/disable to the NMI watchdog enable/disable,
but it is a straightforward patch to make anything doing this update
the buddy_watchdog file instead.

If we have to keep "nmi_watchdog" then we should deprecate it and
create an equivalent file with a better name (ie without NMI in it).
It'll be moderately annoying in perf to determine whether the NMI
watchdog is enabled by having to read two files.

Thanks,
Ian

> The global str pointer hardlockup_detector_type was already introduced in the
> patch, so exposing it in a file is straightforward.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Namhyung
> >
>
> --
> Jinchao