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authorPaul E. McKenney <paulmck@kernel.org>2026-08-14 15:43:51 -0700
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Merge branches 'expcb.2026.07.24a', 'misc.2026.07.30a', 'rcu-tasks.2026.07.30a', 'srcu.2026.08.11a' and 'torture.2026.08.14a' into HEADgrafted
Changes: Make expedited grace periods expedite normal RCU callbacks Miscellaneous fixes: * Improve diagnostic output with character task states. * Mark accesses to inform KCSAN of concurrency design. * Move from kmalloc() to kmalloc_obj(). * Documentation updates. * Improve handling of RCU deferred quiescent states. * Clean up unused function arguments and structure fields. * Reduce show_rcu_gp_kthreads() stack space. Tasks RCU updates: * Clean up after SRCU re-implementation of Tasks Trace RCU. * Mark accesses to inform KCSAN of concurrency design. * Add ->lazy_timer status to diagnostic output. * Remove an unnecessary memory barrier. * Fix a data race, courtesy of KCSAN. * Documentation updates. * Convert cond_resched_tasks_rcu_qs() from macro to static inline function. SRCU updates: * Add Rust helpers for SRCU. * Avoid losing queued work at cleanup_srcu_struct() time. Torture-test updates: * Preparation work for immediate RCU priority deboosting. * Test RCU readers from real interrupt handlers (as opposed to softirq). * Simplify code through use of cpumask_next_wrap(). * Improve diagnostic output with character task states. * Add rcutorture.nwriters parameter to allow lightweight stall testing, and rcutorture.stall_only to make doing so easier. * Test an RCU Tasks Trace grace period implying an RCU grace period. * Make RCU Tasks Trace torturing track reader batches. * Fix a data race, courtesy of KCSAN. * Plug a shuffle_tmp_mask memory leak on kthread spawn failure.
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+===================
+Sync File API Guide
+===================
+
+:Author: Gustavo Padovan <gustavo at padovan dot org>
+
+This document serves as a guide for device drivers writers on what the
+sync_file API is, and how drivers can support it. Sync file is the carrier of
+the fences(struct dma_fence) that are needed to synchronize between drivers or
+across process boundaries.
+
+The sync_file API is meant to be used to send and receive fence information
+to/from userspace. It enables userspace to do explicit fencing, where instead
+of attaching a fence to the buffer a producer driver (such as a GPU or V4L
+driver) sends the fence related to the buffer to userspace via a sync_file.
+
+The sync_file then can be sent to the consumer (DRM driver for example), that
+will not use the buffer for anything before the fence(s) signals, i.e., the
+driver that issued the fence is not using/processing the buffer anymore, so it
+signals that the buffer is ready to use. And vice-versa for the consumer ->
+producer part of the cycle.
+
+Sync files allows userspace awareness on buffer sharing synchronization between
+drivers.
+
+Sync file was originally added in the Android kernel but current Linux Desktop
+can benefit a lot from it.
+
+in-fences and out-fences
+------------------------
+
+Sync files can go either to or from userspace. When a sync_file is sent from
+the driver to userspace we call the fences it contains 'out-fences'. They are
+related to a buffer that the driver is processing or is going to process, so
+the driver creates an out-fence to be able to notify, through
+dma_fence_signal(), when it has finished using (or processing) that buffer.
+Out-fences are fences that the driver creates.
+
+On the other hand if the driver receives fence(s) through a sync_file from
+userspace we call these fence(s) 'in-fences'. Receiving in-fences means that
+we need to wait for the fence(s) to signal before using any buffer related to
+the in-fences.
+
+Creating Sync Files
+-------------------
+
+When a driver needs to send an out-fence userspace it creates a sync_file.
+
+Interface::
+
+ struct sync_file *sync_file_create(struct dma_fence *fence);
+
+The caller pass the out-fence and gets back the sync_file. That is just the
+first step, next it needs to install an fd on sync_file->file. So it gets an
+fd::
+
+ fd = get_unused_fd_flags(O_CLOEXEC);
+
+and installs it on sync_file->file::
+
+ fd_install(fd, sync_file->file);
+
+The sync_file fd now can be sent to userspace.
+
+If the creation process fail, or the sync_file needs to be released by any
+other reason fput(sync_file->file) should be used.
+
+Receiving Sync Files from Userspace
+-----------------------------------
+
+When userspace needs to send an in-fence to the driver it passes file descriptor
+of the Sync File to the kernel. The kernel can then retrieve the fences
+from it.
+
+Interface::
+
+ struct dma_fence *sync_file_get_fence(int fd);
+
+
+The returned reference is owned by the caller and must be disposed of
+afterwards using dma_fence_put(). In case of error, a NULL is returned instead.
+
+References:
+
+1. struct sync_file in include/linux/sync_file.h
+2. All interfaces mentioned above defined in include/linux/sync_file.h