This patch adds a comment on top of the schedule() function to explain
to scheduler newbies how the main scheduler function is entered.
Explained-by: Ingo Molnar <mi...@kernel.org>
Explained-by: Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijls...@chello.nl>
Signed-off-by: Pekka Enberg <penb...@kernel.org>
---
kernel/sched/core.c | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 files changed, 34 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
diff --git a/kernel/sched/core.c b/kernel/sched/core.c
index 468bdd4..9f31bbd 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/core.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/core.c
@@ -3361,6 +3361,40 @@ pick_next_task(struct rq *rq)
/*
* __schedule() is the main scheduler function.
+ *
+ * The main means of driving the scheduler and thus entering this function are:
+ *
+ * 1. Explicit blocking: mutex, semaphore, waitqueue, etc.
+ *
+ * 2. TIF_NEED_RESCHED flag is checked on interrupt and userspace return
+ * paths. For example, see arch/x86/entry_64.S.
+ *
+ * To drive preemption between tasks, the scheduler sets the flag is set
+ * in timer interrupt handler scheduler_tick().
+ *
+ * 3. Wakeups don't really cause entry into schedule(). They add a
+ * task to the run-queue and that's it.
+ *
+ * Now, if the new task added to the run-queue preempts the current
+ * task, then the wakeup sets TIF_NEED_RESCHED and schedule() gets
+ * called on the nearest possible occasion:
+ *
+ * - If the kernel is preemptible (CONFIG_PREEMPT=y):
+ *
+ * - in syscall or exception context, at the next outmost
+ * preempt_enable(). (this might be as soon as the wake_up()'s
+ * spin_unlock()!)
+ *
+ * - in IRQ context, return from interrupt-handler to
+ * preemptible context
+ *
+ * - If the kernel is not preemptible (CONFIG_PREEMPT is not set)
+ * then at the next:
+ *
+ * - cond_resched() call
+ * - explicit schedule() call
+ * - return from syscall or exception to user-space
+ * - return from interrupt-handler to user-space
*/
static void __sched __schedule(void)
{
--
1.7.7.6
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