the bgl and other tasks (was: Re: Idle question about multi-core processors)

["Simon 'corecode' Schubert" <corecode@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Matthew Dillon wrote:
> :Speaking of that,
> :How long do you think it will be until the BGL can be removed from the
> :largest subsystems and we will see the real benefit on SMP systems in
> :DragonFly?
> :-Jonas
>     
>     There really isn't much left.  It would take one experienced person maybe
>     a week to run through all the code paths and deal with the few remaining
>     issues, with the provisio that the packet filter would still probably
>     need either the BGL or its own lock.
>
>     Do people think I should work on that for the January release instead of
>     the virtual kernel support?  I really only have time to do one or the
>     other.

No, better keep going on the vkernel.  A couple of us developers will hang out at the 23rd chaos communication congress in berlin [1], which is taking place from december 27th-30th.  One of our ideas was to do a little hack-a-thon.

We compiled a way too big list in the wiki [2].  The most appealing feature we want to tackle is 1:1 threading, and I think this is a fair goal to achieve.  maybe we will also be able to push the bgl a little further.

I guess pushing the BGL is not so complicated for an average[tm] developer than developing the vkernel architecture, which is basically only known to you.

Maybe some other interested people will want to join us there and hack and drink together one or two beverages or lines of code!

cheers
 simon

[1] http://events.ccc.de/congress/2006/
[2] http://wiki.dragonflybsd.org/index.cgi/HackAthonTopics

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