lock_kernel() usage and sync_*() functions

[Nigel Gamble]

Why is the kernel lock held around sync_supers() and sync_inodes() in
sync_old_buffers() and fsync_dev(), but not in sync_dev()?  Is it just
to serialize calls to these functions, or is there some other reason?

Since this use of the BKL is one of the causes of high preemption
latency in a preemptible kernel, I'm hoping it would be OK to replace
them with a semaphore.  Please let me know if this is not the case.

Thanks!

Nigel Gamble                                    [e-mail]
Mountain View, CA, USA.                         http://www.nrg.org/

MontaVista Software                             [e-mail]