On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 9:38 AM, Philippe Gerum <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Tue, 2011-02-08 at 09:21 +0100, Henri Roosen wrote:
>> On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 8:08 PM, Gilles Chanteperdrix
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > Henri Roosen wrote:
>> >> On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 7:27 PM, Gilles Chanteperdrix
>> >> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >>> Henri Roosen wrote:
>> >>>> We are using signal handlers for catching exceptions which our
>> >>>> application is allowed to make and which we know how to handle.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> The current Xenomai implementation is to switch to the secondary
>> >>>> domain and call the handlers from there.
>> >>>> Unfortunately this takes too much time for our application and we
>> >>>> would like to handle the exception without the switch to the secondary
>> >>>> domain, in primary domain.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Can anyone give some advice how to implement that?
>> >>>> Will "user-space signals" which was planned for Xenomai 2.6 fulfill 
>> >>>> this need?
>> >>>> Is there already code available for user-space signals?
>> >>> In the 2.5 series, we added some code to support signals. The signals
>> >>> are multiplexed per-skin in kernel-space, and demultiplexed in
>> >>> user-space, upon exit of system calls. We implemented a unit test of
>> >>> this functionality with the "sigtest" skin and user-space test, but they
>> >>> only work upon return from system calls.
>> >>>
>> >>> Then we added support for the "mayday" page, which made us realize, that
>> >>> maybe implementing signals handling at any time, not only when returning
>> >>> from system calls, was possible. But then came the realization that in
>> >>> order to implement that, we would have to fiddle with the FPU, which is
>> >>> an area where we have a certain tradition for not getting the things
>> >>> right at the first attempt. So, we kind of stopped here.
>> >>>
>> >>> So, if you want some ad-hoc signals upon return from system call, the
>> >>> task is pretty easy. If you want the full posix signals interface, then
>> >>> things are going to be a bit harder.
>> >>>
>> >> I am afraid it's going to be a bit harder; we would need it when the
>> >> exception occurs and that is in most cases not at a place in the code
>> >> where there is a system call :-(.
>> >
>> > What kind of exception is it? Could not the exception be signalled at
>> > the next system call?
>>
>> Our customers provide the application code, we provide more or less
>> the framework. Customers can install exception handlers for for
>> instance floating point exceptions (SIGFPE).
>> Besides that we provide a means of tracing the application code, which
>> is handled by breakpoints in the code which then does some bookkeeping
>> and lets the task run again. Of course that has some overhead also
>> when using our old OS, but Linux-Xenomai has so much overhead because
>> of the secondary domain switch. Therefore we would like to handle it
>> in primary domain.
>
> Connect a high priority shadow task in userland to an exception handler
> installed in kernel space via some synchronization (semaphore, event,
> whatever). The handler would be called upon exception, then would wake
> up your task in userland, which would preempt immediately any other task
> activity due to its higher priority. This would not entail any mode
> switch, only a fast context switch between Xenomai contexts.
>
> Over this "exception server" task context, you should be able to execute
> any kind of user-space handler to mimic the POSIX signal interface as
> much as required. Of course this would not run over the faulting context
> like POSIX signals do (unless SIGEV_THREAD is used), but this might be
> ok for your purpose.
>

Unfortunately we do need the faulting context for the SIGFPE signal
and SIGTRAP (x86) / SIGILL (arm) signals...

For some quick tests, where in Xenomai code would be best to place a
hook for catching exceptions in primary domain which would also
provide the faulting context? Would that be xnpod_trap_fault?

>>
>> >
>> >>
>> >> I was thinking of adding a hook in Xenomai's exception handler before
>> >> it makes the switch to the secondary domain... but that would of
>> >> course be a very ugly hack and I don't know if it can be done. Do you
>> >> have a suggestion?
>> >>
>> >> What are the plans with the full posix signals interface?
>> >
>> > Plans were to get it during the 2.6 branch, but of course if someone is
>> > able to contribute it before, there is no problem.
>>
>> I would like to help out of course, but first would like some quick
>> tests if it would be feasible in our application. Any hints on that?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Henri.
>>
>> >
>> >>
>> >> Thanks,
>> >>> --
>> >>>                                                                Gilles.
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> >                                                                Gilles.
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
> --
> Philippe.
>
>
>

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