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    SubjectRe: [announce] "kill the Big Kernel Lock (BKL)" tree
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    Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> wrote:

    > I don't think there are *that* many. I found only 83 instances of
    > "register_chrdev()" in the kernel, so the open methods should be pretty
    > limited.

    There's the drivers calling cdev_add() directly as well - another
    40ish. Still not a huge list, I guess.

    > So it literally should be:
    > - remove one lock_kernel/unlock_kernel pair in fs/char_dev.c
    > - add max 83 pairs in the places that register those things
    > - external modules will need to add it themselves some day.

    This is all certainly doable, but it leaves me with one concern: there
    will be no signal to external module maintainers that the change needs
    to be made. So, beyond doubt, quite a few of them will just continue to
    be shipped unfixed - and they will still run. If any of them actually
    *need* the BKL, something awful may happen to somebody someday.

    jon


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