Re: [Xen-devel] [PATCH v4] xen/arm: Add a clock property

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Hi Michael, Stefano and Julien,

On 22.07.2016 03:16, Stefano Stabellini wrote:
On Thu, 21 Jul 2016, Michael Turquette wrote:
Quoting Stefano Stabellini (2016-07-14 03:38:04)
On Thu, 14 Jul 2016, Dirk Behme wrote:
On 13.07.2016 23:03, Michael Turquette wrote:
Quoting Dirk Behme (2016-07-13 11:56:30)
On 13.07.2016 20:43, Stefano Stabellini wrote:
On Wed, 13 Jul 2016, Dirk Behme wrote:
On 13.07.2016 00:26, Michael Turquette wrote:
Quoting Dirk Behme (2016-07-12 00:46:45)
Clocks described by this property are reserved for use by Xen, and
the OS
must not alter their state any way, such as disabling or gating a
clock,
or modifying its rate. Ensuring this may impose constraints on
parent
clocks or other resources used by the clock tree.

Note that clk_prepare_enable will not prevent the rate from changing
(clk_set_rate) or a parent from changing (clk_set_parent). The only
way
to do this currently would be to set the following flags on the
effected
clocks:

    CLK_SET_RATE_GATE
    CLK_SET_PARENT_GATE



Regarding setting flags, I think we already talked about that. I think
the
conclusion was that in our case its not possible to manipulate the
flags in
the OS as this isn't intended to be done in cases like ours. Therefore
no API
is exported for this.

I.e. if we need to set these flags, we have to do that in Xen where we
add the
clocks to the hypervisor node in the device tree. And not in the
kernel patch
discussed here.

These are internal Linux flags, aren't they?


I've been under the impression that you can set clock "flags" via the
device tree. Seems I need to re-check that ;)

Right, you cannot set flags from the device tree. Also, setting these
flags is done by the clock provider driver, not a consumer. Xen is the
consumer.


Ok, thanks, then I think we can forget about using flags for the issue we are
discussing here.

Best regards

Dirk

P.S.: Would it be an option to merge the v4 patch we are discussing here,
then? From the discussion until here, it sounds to me that it's the best
option we have at the moment. Maybe improving it in the future, then.

It might be a step in the right direction, but it doesn't really prevent
clk_set_rate from changing properties of a clock owned by Xen.  This
patch is incomplete. We need to understand at least what it would take
to have a complete solution.

Michael, do you have any suggestions on how it would be possible to set
CLK_SET_RATE_GATE and CLK_SET_PARENT_GATE for those clocks in a proper
way?

No, there is no way for a consumer to do that. The provider must do it.

All right. But could we design a new device tree binding which the Xen
hypervisor would use to politely ask the clock provider in Linux to set
CLK_SET_RATE_GATE and CLK_SET_PARENT_GATE for a given clock?

Xen would have to modify the DTB before booting Linux with the new
binding.


Like you wrote, I would imagine it needs to be done by the clock
provider driver. Maybe to do that, it would be easier to have a new
device tree property on the clock node, rather than listing phandle and
clock-specifier pairs under the Xen node?

Upon further reflection, I think that your clock consumer can probably
use clk_set_rate_range() to "lock" in a rate. This is good because it is
exactly what a clock consumer should do:

1) get the clk
2) enable the clk
3) set the required rate for the clock
4) set rate range constraints, or conversely,
5) lock in an exact rate; set the min/max rate to the same value

The problem with this solution is that it requires the consumer to have
knowledge of the rates that it wants for that clock, which I guess is
something that Linux kernels in a Xen setup do not want/need?

Who is usually the component with knowledge of the clock rate to set? If
it's a device driver, then neither the Xen hypervisor, nor the Xen core
drivers in Linux would know anything about it. (Unless the clock rate is
specified on device tree via assigned-clock-rates of course.)


Is it correct that you would prefer some sort of never_touch_this_clk()
api?

From my understading, yes, never_touch_this_clk() would make things easier.


Would it be somehow worth to wait for anything like this never_touch_this_clk() api? Or should we try to proceed with clk_prepare_enable() like done in this patch for the moment?

Best regards

Dirk
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