Since 2004 a project has improved the Real-time and low-latency features for Linux. This project has become know as PREEMPT_RT, formally the real-time patch. Over the past decade, many parts of the PREEMPT RT became part of the official Linux code base. Examples of what came from PREEMPT_RT include: Real-time mutexes, high-resolution timers, lockdep, ftrace, RT scheduling, SCHED_DEADLINE, RCU_PREEMPT, generic interrupts, priority inheritance futexes, threaded interrupt handlers and more. The number of patches that need integration has been reduced from previous years, and the pieces left are now mature enough to make their way into mainline Linux. This year could possibly be the year PREEMPT_RT is merged (tm)!
In the final lap of this race, the last patches are on the way to be merged, but there are still some pieces missing. When the merge occurs, PREEMPT_RT will start to follow a new pace: the Linus one. So, it is possible to raise the following discussions: The status of the merge, and how can we resolve the last issues that block the merge; How can we improve the testing of the -rt, to follow the problems raised as Linus's tree advances; What's next? Proposed topics: - Real-time Containers - Proxy execution discussion - Merge - what is missing and who can help? - Rework of softirq - what is need for the -rt merge - An in-kernel view of Latency - Ongoing work on RCU that impacts per-cpu threads - How BPF can influence the PREEMPT_RT kernel latency - Core-schedule and the RT schedulers - Stable maintainers tools discussion & improvements. - Improvements on full CPU isolation - What tools can we add into tools/ that other kernel developers can use to test and learn about PREEMPT_RT? - What tests can we add to tools/testing/selftests? - New tools for timing regression test, e.g. locking, overheads... - What kernel boot self-tests can be added? - Discuss various types of failures that can happen with PREEMPT_RT that normally would not happen in the vanilla kernel, e.g, with lockdep, preemption model. - The continuation of the discussion of topics from last year's micro-conference, including the development done during this (almost) year, are also welcome! If you are interested in participating in this microconference and have topics to propose, please use the CfP process here: https://www.linuxplumbersconf.org/event/4/abstracts/ If you have any doubts, feel free to contact me! Thanks! -- Daniel
