Re: [PATCH] 2.4.18 raid1 - fix SMP locking/interrupt

[Manfred Spraul]

From: "Andrew Morton" <[e-mail]>
> > OTHO, if a function doesn't work correctly if it's called with
disabled
> > interrupts, then it should not use spin_lock_irqsave() - it's
> > misleading.
> > e.g. if it calls kmalloc(GFP_KERNEL), down(), schedule(), etc.
>
> mm?  Those are legal (albeit unpleasant) inside local_irq_save(),
> but illegal inside global_cli() in 2.5.  Aren't they?  If not,
> then release_kernel_lock() needs talking to.
>
If a function is called with disabled interrupts, then the caller
probably expects that the interrupts remain disabled - otherwise he
would have reenabled them before calling. schedule reenables interrupts.
The calls might be legal, but usually they indicate a bug.

--
    Manfred