x86: Document rdmsr_safe restrictions
authorBorislav Petkov <borislav.petkov@amd.com>
Mon, 5 Dec 2011 13:28:37 +0000 (14:28 +0100)
committerBorislav Petkov <borislav.petkov@amd.com>
Mon, 5 Dec 2011 13:28:37 +0000 (14:28 +0100)
Recently, I got bitten by using rdmsr_safe too early in the boot
process. Document its shortcomings for future reference.

Link: http://lkml.kernel.org/r/4ED5B70F.606@lwfinger.net
Signed-off-by: Borislav Petkov <borislav.petkov@amd.com>
arch/x86/include/asm/msr.h

index 084ef95..95203d4 100644 (file)
@@ -169,7 +169,14 @@ static inline int wrmsr_safe(unsigned msr, unsigned low, unsigned high)
        return native_write_msr_safe(msr, low, high);
 }
 
-/* rdmsr with exception handling */
+/*
+ * rdmsr with exception handling.
+ *
+ * Please note that the exception handling works only after we've
+ * switched to the "smart" #GP handler in trap_init() which knows about
+ * exception tables - using this macro earlier than that causes machine
+ * hangs on boxes which do not implement the @msr in the first argument.
+ */
 #define rdmsr_safe(msr, p1, p2)                                        \
 ({                                                             \
        int __err;                                              \