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| 1 | +.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 |
| 2 | +
|
| 3 | +========================================= |
| 4 | +Vector Extension Support for RISC-V Linux |
| 5 | +========================================= |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +This document briefly outlines the interface provided to userspace by Linux in |
| 8 | +order to support the use of the RISC-V Vector Extension. |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | +1. prctl() Interface |
| 11 | +--------------------- |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +Two new prctl() calls are added to allow programs to manage the enablement |
| 14 | +status for the use of Vector in userspace. The intended usage guideline for |
| 15 | +these interfaces is to give init systems a way to modify the availability of V |
| 16 | +for processes running under its domain. Calling thess interfaces is not |
| 17 | +recommended in libraries routines because libraries should not override policies |
| 18 | +configured from the parant process. Also, users must noted that these interfaces |
| 19 | +are not portable to non-Linux, nor non-RISC-V environments, so it is discourage |
| 20 | +to use in a portable code. To get the availability of V in an ELF program, |
| 21 | +please read :c:macro:`COMPAT_HWCAP_ISA_V` bit of :c:macro:`ELF_HWCAP` in the |
| 22 | +auxiliary vector. |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +* prctl(PR_RISCV_V_SET_CONTROL, unsigned long arg) |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | + Sets the Vector enablement status of the calling thread, where the control |
| 27 | + argument consists of two 2-bit enablement statuses and a bit for inheritance |
| 28 | + mode. Other threads of the calling process are unaffected. |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | + Enablement status is a tri-state value each occupying 2-bit of space in |
| 31 | + the control argument: |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | + * :c:macro:`PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_DEFAULT`: Use the system-wide default |
| 34 | + enablement status on execve(). The system-wide default setting can be |
| 35 | + controlled via sysctl interface (see sysctl section below). |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | + * :c:macro:`PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_ON`: Allow Vector to be run for the |
| 38 | + thread. |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | + * :c:macro:`PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_OFF`: Disallow Vector. Executing Vector |
| 41 | + instructions under such condition will trap and casuse the termination of the thread. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | + arg: The control argument is a 5-bit value consisting of 3 parts, and |
| 44 | + accessed by 3 masks respectively. |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | + The 3 masks, PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_CUR_MASK, |
| 47 | + PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_NEXT_MASK, and PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_INHERIT |
| 48 | + represents bit[1:0], bit[3:2], and bit[4]. bit[1:0] accounts for the |
| 49 | + enablement status of current thread, and the setting at bit[3:2] takes place |
| 50 | + at next execve(). bit[4] defines the inheritance mode of the setting in |
| 51 | + bit[3:2]. |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | + * :c:macro:`PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_CUR_MASK`: bit[1:0]: Account for the |
| 54 | + Vector enablement status for the calling thread. The calling thread is |
| 55 | + not able to turn off Vector once it has been enabled. The prctl() call |
| 56 | + fails with EPERM if the value in this mask is PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_OFF |
| 57 | + but the current enablement status is not off. Setting |
| 58 | + PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_DEFAULT here takes no effect but to set back |
| 59 | + the original enablement status. |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | + * :c:macro:`PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_NEXT_MASK`: bit[3:2]: Account for the |
| 62 | + Vector enablement setting for the calling thread at the next execve() |
| 63 | + system call. If PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_DEFAULT is used in this mask, |
| 64 | + then the enablement status will be decided by the system-wide |
| 65 | + enablement status when execve() happen. |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | + * :c:macro:`PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_INHERIT`: bit[4]: the inheritance |
| 68 | + mode for the setting at PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_NEXT_MASK. If the bit |
| 69 | + is set then the following execve() will not clear the setting in both |
| 70 | + PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_NEXT_MASK and PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_INHERIT. |
| 71 | + This setting persists across changes in the system-wide default value. |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | + Return value: |
| 74 | + * 0 on success; |
| 75 | + * EINVAL: Vector not supported, invalid enablement status for current or |
| 76 | + next mask; |
| 77 | + * EPERM: Turning off Vector in PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_CUR_MASK if Vector |
| 78 | + was enabled for the calling thread. |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | + On success: |
| 81 | + * A valid setting for PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_CUR_MASK takes place |
| 82 | + immediately. The enablement status specified in |
| 83 | + PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_NEXT_MASK happens at the next execve() call, or |
| 84 | + all following execve() calls if PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_INHERIT bit is |
| 85 | + set. |
| 86 | + * Every successful call overwrites a previous setting for the calling |
| 87 | + thread. |
| 88 | + |
| 89 | +* prctl(PR_RISCV_V_GET_CONTROL) |
| 90 | + |
| 91 | + Gets the same Vector enablement status for the calling thread. Setting for |
| 92 | + next execve() call and the inheritance bit are all OR-ed together. |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | + Note that ELF programs are able to get the availability of V for itself by |
| 95 | + reading :c:macro:`COMPAT_HWCAP_ISA_V` bit of :c:macro:`ELF_HWCAP` in the |
| 96 | + auxiliary vector. |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | + Return value: |
| 99 | + * a nonnegative value on success; |
| 100 | + * EINVAL: Vector not supported. |
| 101 | + |
| 102 | +2. System runtime configuration (sysctl) |
| 103 | +----------------------------------------- |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +To mitigate the ABI impact of expansion of the signal stack, a |
| 106 | +policy mechanism is provided to the administrators, distro maintainers, and |
| 107 | +developers to control the default Vector enablement status for userspace |
| 108 | +processes in form of sysctl knob: |
| 109 | + |
| 110 | +* /proc/sys/abi/riscv_v_default_allow |
| 111 | + |
| 112 | + Writing the text representation of 0 or 1 to this file sets the default |
| 113 | + system enablement status for new starting userspace programs. Valid values |
| 114 | + are: |
| 115 | + |
| 116 | + * 0: Do not allow Vector code to be executed as the default for new processes. |
| 117 | + * 1: Allow Vector code to be executed as the default for new processes. |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | + Reading this file returns the current system default enablement status. |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | + At every execve() call, a new enablement status of the new process is set to |
| 122 | + the system default, unless: |
| 123 | + |
| 124 | + * PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_INHERIT is set for the calling process, and the |
| 125 | + setting in PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_NEXT_MASK is not |
| 126 | + PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_DEFAULT. Or, |
| 127 | + |
| 128 | + * The setting in PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_NEXT_MASK is not |
| 129 | + PR_RISCV_V_VSTATE_CTRL_DEFAULT. |
| 130 | + |
| 131 | + Modifying the system default enablement status does not affect the enablement |
| 132 | + status of any existing process of thread that do not make an execve() call. |
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