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Writing "+pids" to cgroup.subtree_control flie yields EINVAL

PATCH Superseded Michael Kerrisk (man-pages) 2 participants 10 messages Dec 4, 2017 – Dec 5, 2017 Documentation

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#0 lore raw

Hello Tejun,

I was trying to do some simple testing ot the CPU controller that is merged into 4.15, and ran immediately into some confusion. In the root cgroup on a freshly booted 4.150-rc1, I try the following:

# pwd
/sys/fs/cgroup/unified
# echo '+cpu' > cgroup.subtree_control 
sh: echo: write error: Invalid argument

What am I missing> I presume I'm missing something obvious, although nothing jumped out at me as I read the cgroups-v2.txt file.

Cheers,

Michael

Signature · 3 lines
Michael Kerrisk
Linux man-pages maintainer; http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
Linux/UNIX System Programming Training: http://man7.org/training/
#1 lore raw

Hello, Michael.

Quoted 11 lines · Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)

I was trying to do some simple testing ot the CPU controller that is merged into 4.15, and ran immediately into some confusion. In the root cgroup on a freshly booted 4.150-rc1, I try the following:

# pwd
/sys/fs/cgroup/unified
# echo '+cpu' > cgroup.subtree_control 
sh: echo: write error: Invalid argument

What am I missing> I presume I'm missing something obvious, although nothing jumped out at me as I read the cgroups-v2.txt file.

Checking whether I messed up something really basic... hmmm doesn't seem that way. What do /sys/fs/cgroup/unified/cgroup.controllers and /proc/cgroups say?

Thanks.

Signature · 1 line
tejun
#2 lore raw

[dropping Lennart into CC]

Hello Tejun,

Quoted 12 lines · Tejun Heo

Hello, Michael.

Quoted 9 lines · Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)

I was trying to do some simple testing ot the CPU controller that is merged into 4.15, and ran immediately into some confusion. In the root cgroup on a freshly booted 4.150-rc1, I try the following:

# pwd
/sys/fs/cgroup/unified
# echo '+cpu' > cgroup.subtree_control 
sh: echo: write error: Invalid argument
Quoted 6 lines
Quoted 2 lines

What am I missing> I presume I'm missing something obvious, although nothing jumped out at me as I read the cgroups-v2.txt file.

Checking whether I messed up something really basic... hmmm doesn't seem that way. What do /sys/fs/cgroup/unified/cgroup.controllers and /proc/cgroups say?

Oh -- they're all sensible:

In the root cgroup:

# cat cgroup.controllers 
cpu io memory pids
$ cat /proc/cgroups 
#subsys_name	hierarchy	num_cgroups	enabled
cpuset	0	142	1
cpu	0	142	1
cpuacct	0	142	1
blkio	0	142	1
memory	0	142	1
devices	0	142	1
freezer	0	142	1
net_cls	0	142	1
perf_event	0	142	1
net_prio	0	142	1
hugetlb	0	142	1
pids	0	142	1

But, I through some trial and error and printk() I worked out

a) If I first move all tasks to the root cgroup, then I can write '+cpu' to the cgroup.subtree_control file in the root cgroup.

b) The reason for my initial problems was this test in the kernel in cpu_cgroup_can_attach():

#ifdef CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED
                if (!sched_rt_can_attach(css_tg(css), task))
                        return -EINVAL;
#else
                /* We don't support RT-tasks being in separate groups */
                if (task->sched_class != &fair_sched_class)
                        return -EINVAL;

#endif

I don't have CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED, and the second 'if' was yielding false because of some SCHED_RR processes that are in some of the nonroot cgroups created by systemd, namely:

# ps ax -L -o 'pid tid cls rtprio comm'|grep RR
  685   723  RR     99 rtkit-daemon
  972   979  RR      5 alsa-sink-ALC26
  972   982  RR      5 alsa-source-ALC
 1594  1597  RR      5 alsa-sink-ALC26
 1594  1600  RR      5 alsa-source-ALC

So, one solution is to move those processes to the root cgroup, and then it's possible to write '+pids' to cgroup.subtree_control.

Is enabling CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED also a solution? (I have not had a chance to test that yet.)

Anyway, it seems like this should be documented somewhere in the kernel Documentation files, since it may be that others will run into this as well. I'm not quite sure what should be added to the documentation. Do you have some idea?

Thanks,

Michael

Signature · 3 lines
Michael Kerrisk
Linux man-pages maintainer; http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
Linux/UNIX System Programming Training: http://man7.org/training/
#3 lore raw

Hello, Michael.

Quoted 10 lines · Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)

b) The reason for my initial problems was this test in the kernel in cpu_cgroup_can_attach():

#ifdef CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED
                if (!sched_rt_can_attach(css_tg(css), task))
                        return -EINVAL;
#else
                /* We don't support RT-tasks being in separate groups */
                if (task->sched_class != &fair_sched_class)
                        return -EINVAL;
Quoted 5 lines

#endif

I don't have CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED, and the second 'if' was yielding false because of some SCHED_RR processes that are in some of the nonroot cgroups created by systemd, namely:

I see. Thanks for tracking it down. Yeah, the RT side of things isn't too well thought out yet.

Quoted 9 lines
# ps ax -L -o 'pid tid cls rtprio comm'|grep RR
  685   723  RR     99 rtkit-daemon
  972   979  RR      5 alsa-sink-ALC26
  972   982  RR      5 alsa-source-ALC
 1594  1597  RR      5 alsa-sink-ALC26
 1594  1600  RR      5 alsa-source-ALC

So, one solution is to move those processes to the root cgroup, and then it's possible to write '+pids' to cgroup.subtree_control.

You mean '+cpu", right?

Quoted 2 lines

Is enabling CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED also a solution? (I have not had a chance to test that yet.)

We aren't yet sure about how we should handle RT and haven't enabled RT part on cgroup2 yet. You can test the same scenario in cgroup1 tho and would have to configure RT shares all along the hierarchy to the leaf cgroup.

Quoted 4 lines

Anyway, it seems like this should be documented somewhere in the kernel Documentation files, since it may be that others will run into this as well. I'm not quite sure what should be added to the documentation. Do you have some idea?

I think the only thing we can say right now is that RT processes should be in the root cgroup. :(

Thanks a lot.

Signature · 1 line
tejun
#4 lore raw

Hello Tejun,

Quoted 29 lines · Tejun Heo

Hello, Michael.

Quoted 10 lines · Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)

b) The reason for my initial problems was this test in the kernel in cpu_cgroup_can_attach():

#ifdef CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED
                if (!sched_rt_can_attach(css_tg(css), task))
                        return -EINVAL;
#else
                /* We don't support RT-tasks being in separate groups */
                if (task->sched_class != &fair_sched_class)
                        return -EINVAL;
Quoted 5 lines

#endif

I don't have CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED, and the second 'if' was yielding false because of some SCHED_RR processes that are in some of the nonroot cgroups created by systemd, namely:

I see. Thanks for tracking it down. Yeah, the RT side of things isn't too well thought out yet.

Quoted 7 lines
# ps ax -L -o 'pid tid cls rtprio comm'|grep RR
  685   723  RR     99 rtkit-daemon
  972   979  RR      5 alsa-sink-ALC26
  972   982  RR      5 alsa-source-ALC
 1594  1597  RR      5 alsa-sink-ALC26
 1594  1600  RR      5 alsa-source-ALC
Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 2 lines

So, one solution is to move those processes to the root cgroup, and then it's possible to write '+pids' to cgroup.subtree_control.

You mean '+cpu", right?

D'oh! Yes. I was also doing some tests with the 'pids' controller, and mistyped. (I see I even manage to mistitle this mail thread :-(.)

Quoted 7 lines
Quoted 2 lines

Is enabling CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED also a solution? (I have not had a chance to test that yet.)

We aren't yet sure about how we should handle RT and haven't enabled RT part on cgroup2 yet. You can test the same scenario in cgroup1 tho and would have to configure RT shares all along the hierarchy to the leaf cgroup.

Okay. Thanks for the confirmation that this is at least surprising behavior.

Quoted 7 lines
Quoted 4 lines

Anyway, it seems like this should be documented somewhere in the kernel Documentation files, since it may be that others will run into this as well. I'm not quite sure what should be added to the documentation. Do you have some idea?

I think the only thing we can say right now is that RT processes should be in the root cgroup. :(

Okay. (Will you add that to the v2 doc file?)

Cheers,

Michael

--
Michael Kerrisk
Linux man-pages maintainer; http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
Linux/UNIX System Programming Training: http://man7.org/training/

#5 lore raw

PATCH 1/1 cgroup: add warning about RT not being supported on cgroup2

From: Tejun Heo <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2017 09:10:17 -0800

We haven't yet figured out what to do with RT threads on cgroup2. Document the limitation.

---
 Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt | 4 ++++
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+)
Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt +4 -0
index 779211f..55a28f4 100644
@@ -898,6 +898,10 @@ controller implements weight and absolute bandwidth limit models for
 normal scheduling policy and absolute bandwidth allocation model for
 realtime scheduling policy.
 
+WARNING: cgroup2 doesn't yet support control of realtime processes and
+the cpu controller can only be enabled when all RT processes are in
+the root cgroup.
+
 
 CPU Interface Files
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Signature · 1 line
2.9.5
#6 lore raw

Re: [PATCH cgroup/for-4.15-fixes] cgroup: add warning about RT not being supported on cgroup2

Hello Tejun,

Quoted 17 lines · Tejun Heo

From: Tejun Heo <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2017 09:10:17 -0800

We haven't yet figured out what to do with RT threads on cgroup2. Document the limitation.

---
 Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt | 4 ++++
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+)
Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt +0 -0
index 779211f..55a28f4 100644

Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt controller implements weight and absolute bandwidth limit models for · line 904

Quoted 7 lines
Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt +4 -0
@@ -898,6 +898,10 @@ controller implements weight and absolute bandwidth limit models for
 normal scheduling policy and absolute bandwidth allocation model for
 realtime scheduling policy.
 
+WARNING: cgroup2 doesn't yet support control of realtime processes and
+the cpu controller can only be enabled when all RT processes are in
+the root cgroup.
+

The documentation file already carries this useful text:

[[
During transition to v2, system management software might still automount the v1 cgroup filesystem and so hijack all controllers during boot, before manual intervention is possible. To make testing and experimenting easier, the kernel parameter cgroup_no_v1= allows disabling controllers in v1 and make them always available in v2. ]]

In that spirit, it may be worth alerting the reader that "system management software" might already have put some RT processes in nonroot cgroups. Maybe something like this:

[[
WARNING: cgroup2 doesn't yet support control of realtime processes and the cpu controller can only be enabled when all RT processes are in the root cgroup. Be aware that that system management software may already have placed RT processes into nonroot cgroups during the system boot process, and these processes may need to be moved to the root cgroup before the cpu controller can be enabled.
]]

Thanks,

Michael

Signature · 3 lines
Michael Kerrisk
Linux man-pages maintainer; http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
Linux/UNIX System Programming Training: http://man7.org/training/
#7 lore raw

PATCH v2 1/1 cgroup: add warning about RT not being supported on cgroup2

Quoted 1 line

From f0a821260f24ea9378ed0e0c149e3bbc1a1bd008 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001

From: Tejun Heo <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2017 09:10:17 -0800

We haven't yet figured out what to do with RT threads on cgroup2. Document the limitation.

v2: Included the warning about system management software behavior as
suggested by Michael.

---
 Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt | 7 +++++++
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt +7 -0
index 779211f..c5e3c21 100644
@@ -898,6 +898,13 @@ controller implements weight and absolute bandwidth limit models for
 normal scheduling policy and absolute bandwidth allocation model for
 realtime scheduling policy.
 
+WARNING: cgroup2 doesn't yet support control of realtime processes and
+the cpu controller can only be enabled when all RT processes are in
+the root cgroup.  Be aware that that system management software may
+already have placed RT processes into nonroot cgroups during the
+system boot process, and these processes may need to be moved to the
+root cgroup before the cpu controller can be enabled.
+
 
 CPU Interface Files
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Signature · 1 line
2.9.5
#8 lore raw

Re: [PATCH v2 cgroup/for-4.15-fixes] cgroup: add warning about RT not being supported on cgroup2

Quoted 21 lines · Tejun Heo

From f0a821260f24ea9378ed0e0c149e3bbc1a1bd008 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Tejun Heo <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2017 09:10:17 -0800

We haven't yet figured out what to do with RT threads on cgroup2. Document the limitation.

v2: Included the warning about system management software behavior as
suggested by Michael.

---
 Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt | 7 +++++++
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt +0 -0
index 779211f..c5e3c21 100644

Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt controller implements weight and absolute bandwidth limit models for · line 903

Quoted 6 lines
Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt +3 -0
@@ -898,6 +898,13 @@ controller implements weight and absolute bandwidth limit models for
 normal scheduling policy and absolute bandwidth allocation model for
 realtime scheduling policy.
 
+WARNING: cgroup2 doesn't yet support control of realtime processes and
+the cpu controller can only be enabled when all RT processes are in
+the root cgroup.  Be aware that that system management software may

Sorry, there was a fault in my text: s/that that/that/

Thanks,

Michael

Signature · 3 lines
Michael Kerrisk
Linux man-pages maintainer; http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
Linux/UNIX System Programming Training: http://man7.org/training/
#9 lore raw

Re: [PATCH v2 cgroup/for-4.15-fixes] cgroup: add warning about RT not being supported on cgroup2

Quoted 5 lines · Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)

Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt controller implements weight and absolute bandwidth limit models for · line 903

Quoted 3 lines
Documentation/cgroup-v2.txt +3 -0
+WARNING: cgroup2 doesn't yet support control of realtime processes and
+the cpu controller can only be enabled when all RT processes are in
+the root cgroup.  Be aware that that system management software may

Sorry, there was a fault in my text: s/that that/that/

Heh, fixed.

Thanks.

Signature · 1 line
tejun