Will Deacon <will@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > + /* Barrier: head belongs to the write side, so order reading > > + * the data after reading the head pointer. > > + */ > > + unsigned int head = READ_ONCE(pipe->head); > > Hmm, I don't understand this. Since READ_ONCE() doesn't imply a barrier, > how are you enforcing the read-read ordering in the CPU? It does imply a barrier: smp_read_barrier_depends(). I believe that's > What is the purpose of saying "This may need to insert a barrier"? Can this > function be overridden or something? I mean it's arch-dependent whether READ_ONCE() inserts a barrier or not. > Saying that "This inserts a barrier" feels misleading, because READ_ONCE() > doesn't do that. Yes it does - on the Alpha: [arch/alpha/include/asm/barrier.h] #define read_barrier_depends() __asm__ __volatile__("mb": : :"memory") [include/asm-generic/barrier.h] #ifndef __smp_read_barrier_depends #define __smp_read_barrier_depends() read_barrier_depends() #endif ... #ifndef smp_read_barrier_depends #define smp_read_barrier_depends() __smp_read_barrier_depends() #endif [include/linux/compiler.h] #define __READ_ONCE(x, check) \ ({ \ union { typeof(x) __val; char __c[1]; } __u; \ if (check) \ __read_once_size(&(x), __u.__c, sizeof(x)); \ else \ __read_once_size_nocheck(&(x), __u.__c, sizeof(x)); \ smp_read_barrier_depends(); /* Enforce dependency ordering from x */ \ __u.__val; \ }) #define READ_ONCE(x) __READ_ONCE(x, 1) See: commit 76ebbe78f7390aee075a7f3768af197ded1bdfbb Author: Will Deacon <will.deacon@xxxxxxx> Date: Tue Oct 24 11:22:47 2017 +0100 locking/barriers: Add implicit smp_read_barrier_depends() to READ_ONCE() David