tracing: More clean ups of triggers
cover tracing: More clean ups of triggers
This is based on top of:
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-trace-kernel/[email protected]/
Steven Rostedt (3):
tracing: Remove unneeded event_mutex lock in event_trigger_regex_release()
tracing: Add bulk garbage collection of freeing event_trigger_data
tracing: Use strim() in trigger_process_regex() instead of skip_spaces()
----
kernel/trace/trace.h | 1 + kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c | 65 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------ 2 files changed, 56 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
PATCH 1/3 tracing: Remove unneeded event_mutex lock in event_trigger_regex_release()
From: Steven Rostedt <[email protected]>
In event_trigger_regex_release(), the only code is:
mutex_lock(&event_mutex); if (file->f_mode & FMODE_READ) seq_release(inode, file); mutex_unlock(&event_mutex); return 0;
There's nothing special about the file->f_mode or the seq_release() that requires any locking. Remove the unnecessary locks.
--- kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c | 4 ---- 1 file changed, 4 deletions(-)
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +0 -4
@@ -314,13 +314,9 @@ static ssize_t event_trigger_regex_write(struct file *file,static int event_trigger_regex_release (struct inode *inode,struct file *file) { -mutex_lock (&event_mutex); -if (file->f_mode &FMODE_READ )seq_release (inode, file); -mutex_unlock (&event_mutex); -return 0 ; }
Signature · 1 line
2.51.0
Re: [PATCH 1/3] tracing: Remove unneeded event_mutex lock in event_trigger_regex_release()
Quoted 11 lines · On Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:56:01 -0500 Steven Rostedt <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Steven Rostedt <[email protected]>
In
event_trigger_regex_release(), the only code is:mutex_lock(&event_mutex); if (file->f_mode & FMODE_READ) seq_release(inode, file); mutex_unlock(&event_mutex); return 0;
Quoted 3 lines
There's nothing special about the
file->f_modeor theseq_release()that requires any locking. Remove the unnecessary locks.
Looks good to me.
Quoted 27 lines
Signed-off-by Steven Rostedt (Google) <[email protected]>--- kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c | 4 ---- 1 file changed, 4 deletions(-)kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +0
-4@@ -314,13 +314,9 @@ static ssize_t event_trigger_regex_write(struct file *file,static int event_trigger_regex_release (struct inode *inode,struct file *file) { -mutex_lock (&event_mutex); -if (file->f_mode &FMODE_READ )seq_release (inode, file); -mutex_unlock (&event_mutex); -return 0 ; }Signature · 1 line
2.51.0
Signature · 1 line
Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <[email protected]>
PATCH 2/3 tracing: Add bulk garbage collection of freeing event_trigger_data
In reply to Steven RostedtFrom: Steven Rostedt <[email protected]>
The event trigger data requires a full tracepoint_synchronize_unregister() call before freeing. That call can take 100s of milliseconds to complete. In order to allow for bulk freeing of the trigger data, it can not call the tracepoint_synchronize_unregister() for every individual trigger data being free.
Create a kthread that gets created the first time a trigger data is freed, and have it use the lockless llist to get the list of data to free, run the tracepoint_synchronize_unregister() then free everything in the list.
By freeing hundreds of event_trigger_data elements together, it only requires two runs of the synchronization function, and not hundreds of runs. This speeds up the operation by orders of magnitude (milliseconds instead of several seconds).
--- kernel/trace/trace.h | 1 + kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c | 56 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++-- 2 files changed, 54 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
kernel/trace/trace.h +1 -0
@@ -1808,6 +1808,7 @@ struct event_trigger_data {char *name;struct list_head named_list;struct event_trigger_data *named_data; +struct llist_node llist; };/* Avoid typos */
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +53 -3
79 lines not on this page · raw message
Signature · 1 line
2.51.0
Re: [PATCH 2/3] tracing: Add bulk garbage collection of freeing event_trigger_data
Quoted 8 lines · On Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:56:02 -0500 Steven Rostedt <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Steven Rostedt <[email protected]>
The event trigger data requires a full
tracepoint_synchronize_unregister()call before freeing. That call can take 100s of milliseconds to complete. In order to allow for bulk freeing of the trigger data, it can not call thetracepoint_synchronize_unregister()for every individual trigger data being free.
Quoted 9 lines
Create a kthread that gets created the first time a trigger data is freed, and have it use the lockless llist to get the list of data to free, run the
tracepoint_synchronize_unregister()then free everything in the list.By freeing hundreds of
event_trigger_dataelements together, it only requires two runs of the synchronization function, and not hundreds of runs. This speeds up the operation by orders of magnitude (milliseconds instead of several seconds).
I have some nitpicks, but basically looks good to me.
Quoted 23 lines
Signed-off-by Steven Rostedt (Google) <[email protected]>--- kernel/trace/trace.h | 1 + kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c | 56 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++-- 2 files changed, 54 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)kernel/trace/trace.h +1
-0@@ -1808,6 +1808,7 @@ struct event_trigger_data {char *name;struct list_head named_list;struct event_trigger_data *named_data; +struct llist_node llist; };/* Avoid typos */ kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +0
-0
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c line 15
Quoted 10 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +2
-0@@ -6,26 +6,76 @@*/ #include <linux/security.h> +#include <linux/kthread.h> #include <linux/module.h> #include <linux/ctype.h> #include <linux/mutex.h> #include <linux/slab.h> #include <linux/rculist.h> +#include <linux/llist.h>
nit: Shouldn't we include this in "trace.h" too, because llist_node is used?
Quoted 46 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +33
-2#include "trace.h" static LIST_HEAD (trigger_commands);static DEFINE_MUTEX (trigger_cmd_mutex); +static struct task_struct *trigger_kthread; +static struct llist_head trigger_data_free_list; +static DEFINE_MUTEX (trigger_data_kthread_mutex); + +/* Bulk garbage collection of event_trigger_data elements */ +static int trigger_kthread_fn (void *ignore) +{ +struct event_trigger_data *data, *tmp; +struct llist_node *llnodes; + +/* Once this task starts, it lives forever */ +for (;;) { +set_current_state (TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE ); +if (llist_empty (&trigger_data_free_list)) +schedule (); + +__set_current_state (TASK_RUNNING ); + + llnodes =llist_del_all (&trigger_data_free_list); + +/* make sure current triggers exit before free */ +tracepoint_synchronize_unregister (); + +llist_for_each_entry_safe (data, tmp, llnodes, llist) +kfree (data); + } + +return 0 ; +} +void trigger_data_free (struct event_trigger_data *data) {if (data->cmd_ops->set_filter) data->cmd_ops->set_filter (NULL , data,NULL ); -/* make sure current triggers exit before free */ -tracepoint_synchronize_unregister (); +if (unlikely (!trigger_kthread)) { +guard (mutex)(&trigger_data_kthread_mutex); +/* Check again after taking mutex */
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c line 69
Quoted 10 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +10
-0+if (!trigger_kthread) { +struct task_struct *kthread; + + kthread =kthread_create (trigger_kthread_fn,NULL , +"trigger_data_free" ); +if (!IS_ERR (kthread)) +WRITE_ONCE (trigger_kthread, kthread); + } + } +
Hmm,
/* This continues above error case, but we should do it without lock. */
?
Quoted 17 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +8
-1+if (!trigger_kthread) { +/* Do it the slow way */ +tracepoint_synchronize_unregister (); +kfree (data); +return ; + } -kfree (data); +llist_add (&data->llist, &trigger_data_free_list); +wake_up_process (trigger_kthread); } static inline void data_ops_trigger(struct event_trigger_data *data,Signature · 1 line
2.51.0
Signature · 1 line
Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <[email protected]>
Steven Rostedt
maintainerRe: [PATCH 2/3] tracing: Add bulk garbage collection of freeing event_trigger_data
Quoted 8 lines · On Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:12:06 +0900 Masami Hiramatsu (Google)…
Quoted 8 lines
/* Avoid typos */
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +0
-0@@ -6,26 +6,76 @@*/
Quoted 10 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c line 15
Quoted 8 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +2
-0#include <linux/security.h> +#include <linux/kthread.h> #include <linux/module.h> #include <linux/ctype.h> #include <linux/mutex.h> #include <linux/slab.h> #include <linux/rculist.h> +#include <linux/llist.h> nit: Shouldn't we include this in "
trace.h" too, becausellist_nodeis used?
You mean to move it to trace.h instead of here?
Quoted 59 lines
Quoted 47 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +33
-2#include "trace.h" static LIST_HEAD (trigger_commands);static DEFINE_MUTEX (trigger_cmd_mutex); +static struct task_struct *trigger_kthread; +static struct llist_head trigger_data_free_list; +static DEFINE_MUTEX (trigger_data_kthread_mutex); + +/* Bulk garbage collection of event_trigger_data elements */ +static int trigger_kthread_fn (void *ignore) +{ +struct event_trigger_data *data, *tmp; +struct llist_node *llnodes; + +/* Once this task starts, it lives forever */ +for (;;) { +set_current_state (TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE ); +if (llist_empty (&trigger_data_free_list)) +schedule (); + +__set_current_state (TASK_RUNNING ); + + llnodes =llist_del_all (&trigger_data_free_list); + +/* make sure current triggers exit before free */ +tracepoint_synchronize_unregister (); + +llist_for_each_entry_safe (data, tmp, llnodes, llist) +kfree (data); + } + +return 0 ; +} +void trigger_data_free (struct event_trigger_data *data) {if (data->cmd_ops->set_filter) data->cmd_ops->set_filter (NULL , data,NULL ); -/* make sure current triggers exit before free */ -tracepoint_synchronize_unregister (); +if (unlikely (!trigger_kthread)) { +guard (mutex)(&trigger_data_kthread_mutex); +/* Check again after taking mutex */ kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c line 69
Quoted 10 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +10
-0+if (!trigger_kthread) { +struct task_struct *kthread; + + kthread =kthread_create (trigger_kthread_fn,NULL , +"trigger_data_free" ); +if (!IS_ERR (kthread)) +WRITE_ONCE (trigger_kthread, kthread); + } + } +Hmm,
Quoted 2 lines
/* This continues above error case, but we should do it without lock. */?
Does this really need a comment? The lock is only needed to make sure we only create one kthread. If that fails, then we do it the slow way. The code below is unrelated to the lock. The lock is for kthread creation, not the trigger_kthread variable itself.
-- Steve
Quoted 20 lines
Quoted 18 lines
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +8
-1+if (!trigger_kthread) { +/* Do it the slow way */ +tracepoint_synchronize_unregister (); +kfree (data); +return ; + } -kfree (data); +llist_add (&data->llist, &trigger_data_free_list); +wake_up_process (trigger_kthread); } static inline void data_ops_trigger(struct event_trigger_data *data,Signature · 1 line
2.51.0
PATCH 3/3 tracing: Use strim() in trigger_process_regex() instead of skip_spaces()
In reply to Steven RostedtFrom: Steven Rostedt <[email protected]>
The function trigger_process_regex() is called by a few functions, where only one calls strim() on the buffer passed to it. That leaves the other functions not trimming the end of the buffer passed in and making it a little inconsistent.
Remove the strim() from event_trigger_regex_write() and have trigger_process_regex() use strim() instead of skip_spaces(). The buff variable is not passed in as const, so it can be modified.
--- kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c | 5 ++--- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +2 -3
@@ -309,7 +309,8 @@ int trigger_process_regex(struct trace_event_file *file, char *buff)char *command, *next;struct event_command *p; - next = buff =skip_spaces (buff); + next = buff =strim (buff); + command =strsep (&next,": \t" );if (next) { next =skip_spaces (next);
@@ -346,8 +347,6 @@ static ssize_t event_trigger_regex_write(struct file *file,if (IS_ERR (buf))return PTR_ERR (buf); -strim (buf); -guard (mutex)(&event_mutex); event_file =event_file_file (file);
Signature · 1 line
2.51.0
Re: [PATCH 3/3] tracing: Use strim() in trigger_process_regex() instead of skip_spaces()
Quoted 11 lines · On Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:56:03 -0500 Steven Rostedt <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Steven Rostedt <[email protected]>
The function
trigger_process_regex()is called by a few functions, where only one callsstrim()on the buffer passed to it. That leaves the other functions not trimming the end of the buffer passed in and making it a little inconsistent.Remove the
strim()fromevent_trigger_regex_write()and havetrigger_process_regex()usestrim()instead ofskip_spaces(). The buff variable is not passed in as const, so it can be modified.
Looks good to me.
Thanks,
Quoted 32 lines
Signed-off-by Steven Rostedt (Google) <[email protected]>--- kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c | 5 ++--- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)kernel/trace/trace_events_trigger.c +2
-3@@ -309,7 +309,8 @@ int trigger_process_regex(struct trace_event_file *file, char *buff)char *command, *next;struct event_command *p; - next = buff =skip_spaces (buff); + next = buff =strim (buff); + command =strsep (&next,": \t" );if (next) { next =skip_spaces (next);@@ -346,8 +347,6 @@ static ssize_t event_trigger_regex_write(struct file *file,if (IS_ERR (buf))return PTR_ERR (buf); -strim (buf); -guard (mutex)(&event_mutex); event_file =event_file_file (file);Signature · 1 line
2.51.0
Signature · 1 line
Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <[email protected]>