Besides these two files, there is also architecture-specific header file which provides optimized bit operations for certain architecture. We consider [x86_64](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64) architecture, so in our case it will be:
Besides these two files, there is also architecture-specific header file which provides optimized bit operations for certain architecture. We consider [x86_64](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64) architecture, so in our case it will be:
header file. As I just wrote above, the `bitmap` is heavily used in the Linux kernel. For example a `bit array` is used to store set of online/offline processors for systems which support [hot-plug](https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/cpu-hotplug.txt) cpu (more about this you can read in the [cpumasks](https://0xax.gitbook.io/linux-insides/summary/concepts/linux-cpu-2) part), a `bit array` stores set of allocated [irqs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrupt_request_%28PC_architecture%29) during initialization of the Linux kernel and etc.
header file. As I just wrote above, the `bitmap` is heavily used in the Linux kernel. For example a `bit array` is used to store set of online/offline processors for systems which support [hot-plug](https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/cpu-hotplug.txt) CPU (more about this you can read in the [cpumasks](https://0xax.gitbook.io/linux-insides/summary/concepts/linux-cpu-2) part), a `bit array` stores set of allocated [IRQs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrupt_request_%28PC_architecture%29) during initialization of the Linux kernel and etc.
So, the main goal of this part is to see how `bit arrays` are implemented in the Linux kernel. Let's start.
@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ I think that there is no need to explain what these function do. This is already
In simple words atomic operations guarantees that two or more operations will not be performed on the same data concurrently. The `x86` architecture provides a set of atomic instructions, for example [xchg](http://x86.renejeschke.de/html/file_module_x86_id_328.html) instruction, [cmpxchg](http://x86.renejeschke.de/html/file_module_x86_id_41.html) instruction and etc. Besides atomic instructions, some of non-atomic instructions can be made atomic with the help of the [lock](http://x86.renejeschke.de/html/file_module_x86_id_159.html) instruction. It is enough to know about atomic operations for now, so we can begin to consider implementation of `set_bit` and `clear_bit` functions.
First of all, let's start to consider `non-atomic` variants of this function. Names of non-atomic `set_bit` and `clear_bit` starts from double underscore. As we already know, all of these functions are defined in the [arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h) header file and the first function is `__set_bit`:
First of all, let's start to consider `non-atomic` variants of this function. Names of non-atomic `set_bit` and `clear_bit` starts with double underscore. As we already know, all of these functions are defined in the [arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h) header file and the first function is `__set_bit`:
```C
static inline void __set_bit(long nr, volatile unsigned long *addr)
@ -134,13 +134,13 @@ which means that this function will be always inlined to reduce size of the Linu
The `__builtin_constant_p` builtin function returns `1` if the given parameter is known to be constant at compile-time and returns `0` in other case. We no need to use slow `bts` instruction to set bit if the given number of bit is known in compile time constant. We can just apply [bitwise or](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitwise_operation#OR) for byte from the give address which contains given bit and masked number of bits where high bit is `1` and other is zero. In other case if the given number of bit is not known constant at compile-time, we do the same as we did in the `__set_bit` function. The `CONST_MASK_ADDR` macro:
The `__builtin_constant_p` builtin function returns `1` if the given parameter is known to be constant at compile-time and returns `0` in other case. We do not need to use slow `bts` instruction to set bit if the given number of bit is known in compile time constant. We can just apply [bitwise or](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitwise_operation#OR) for byte from the give address which contains given bit and masked number of bits where high bit is `1` and other is zero. In other case if the given number of bit is not known constant at compile-time, we do the same as we did in the `__set_bit` function. The `CONST_MASK_ADDR` macro:
expands to the give address with offset to the byte which contains a given bit. For example we have address `0x1000` and the number of bit is `0x9`. So, as `0x9` is `one byte + one bit` our address with be `addr + 1`:
expands to the given address with offset to the byte which contains a given bit. For example we have address `0x1000` and the number of bit is `0x9`. So, as `0x9` is `one byte + one bit` our address with be `addr + 1`:
```python
>>> hex(0x1000 + (0x9 >> 3))
@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ and as we can see it is very similar on `set_bit` and just contains two differen
That's all. Now we can set and clear bit in any bit array and and we can go to other operations on bitmasks.
Most widely used operations on a bit arrays are set and clear bit in a bit array in the Linux kernel. But besides this operations it is useful to do additional operations on a bit array. Yet another widely used operation in the Linux kernel - is to know is a given bit set or not in a bit array. We can achieve this with the help of the `test_bit` macro. This macro is defined in the [arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h) header file and expands to the call of the `constant_test_bit` or `variable_test_bit` depends on bit number:
Most widely used operations on a bit arrays are set and clear bit in a bit array in the Linux kernel. But besides this operations it is useful to do additional operations on a bit array. Yet another widely used operation in the Linux kernel - is to know if a given bit is set or not in a bit array. We can achieve this with the help of the `test_bit` macro. This macro is defined in the [arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h) header file and expands to the call of the `constant_test_bit` or `variable_test_bit` depending on bit number:
Pretty easy, is not it? The implementation of the `__change_bit` is the same as `__set_bit`, but instead of `bts` instruction, we are using [btc](http://x86.renejeschke.de/html/file_module_x86_id_23.html). This instruction selects a given bit from a given bit array, stores its value in the `CF` and changes its value by the applying of complement operation. So, a bit with value `1` will be `0` and vice versa:
Pretty easy, is it not? The implementation of the `__change_bit` is the same as `__set_bit`, but instead of `bts` instruction, we are using [btc](http://x86.renejeschke.de/html/file_module_x86_id_23.html). This instruction selects a given bit from a given bit array, stores its value in the `CF` and changes its value by the applying of complement operation. So, a bit with value `1` will be `0` and vice versa:
```python
>>> int(not 1)
@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ For this moment we know the most important architecture-specific operations with
Besides the architecture-specific API from the [arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h) header file, the Linux kernel provides common API for manipulation of bit arrays. As we know from the beginning of this part, we can find it in the [include/linux/bitmap.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/include/linux/bitmap.h) header file and additionally in the * [lib/bitmap.c](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/lib/bitmap.c) source code file. But before these source code files let's look into the [include/linux/bitops.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/include/linux/bitops.h) header file which provides a set of useful macro. Let's look on some of they.
Besides the architecture-specific API from the [arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/arch/x86/include/asm/bitops.h) header file, the Linux kernel provides common API for manipulation of bit arrays. As we know from the beginning of this part, we can find it in the [include/linux/bitmap.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/include/linux/bitmap.h) header file and additionally in the [lib/bitmap.c](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/lib/bitmap.c) source code file. But before these source code files let's look into the [include/linux/bitops.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/include/linux/bitops.h) header file which provides a set of useful macro. Let's look on some of them.
First of all let's look at following four macros:
@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ The next [header](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2
* `bitmap_zero`;
* `bitmap_fill`.
To clear a bit array and fill it with `1`. Let's look on the implementation of the `bitmap_zero` function:
To clear a bit array or fill it with `1`. Let's look at the implementation of the `bitmap_zero` function:
```C
static inline void bitmap_zero(unsigned long *dst, unsigned int nbits)
@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ First of all we can see the check for `nbits`. The `small_const_nbits` is macro
As we may see it checks that `nbits` is known constant in compile time and `nbits` value does not overflow `BITS_PER_LONG` or `64`. If bits number does not overflow amount of bits in a `long` value we can just set to zero. In other case we need to calculate how many `long` values do we need to fill our bit array and fill it with [memset](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/memset.3.html).
The implementation of the `bitmap_fill` function is similar on implementation of the `biramp_zero` function, except we fill a given bit array with `0xff` values or `0b11111111`:
The implementation of the `bitmap_fill` function is similar on implementation of the `bitmap_zero` function, except we fill a given bit array with `0xff` values or `0b11111111`:
```C
static inline void bitmap_fill(unsigned long *dst, unsigned int nbits)
@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ static inline void bitmap_fill(unsigned long *dst, unsigned int nbits)
}
```
Besides the `bitmap_fill` and `bitmap_zero` functions, the [include/linux/bitmap.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/include/linux/bitmap.h) header file provides `bitmap_copy` which is similar on the `bitmap_zero`, but just uses [memcpy](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/memcpy.3.html) instead of [memset](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/memset.3.html). Also it provides bitwise operations for bit array like `bitmap_and`, `bitmap_or`, `bitamp_xor` and etc. We will not consider implementation of these functions because it is easy to understand implementations of these functions if you understood all from this part. Anyway if you are interested how did these function implemented, you may open [include/linux/bitmap.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/include/linux/bitmap.h) header file and start to research.
Besides the `bitmap_fill` and `bitmap_zero` functions, the [include/linux/bitmap.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/include/linux/bitmap.h) header file provides `bitmap_copy` which is similar on the `bitmap_zero`, but just uses [memcpy](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/memcpy.3.html) instead of [memset](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/memset.3.html). Also it provides bitwise operations for bit array like `bitmap_and`, `bitmap_or`, `bitamp_xor` and etc. We will not consider implementation of these functions because it is easy to understand implementations of these functions if you understood all from this part. Anyway if you are interested in how these function are implemented, you may open [include/linux/bitmap.h](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/16f73eb02d7e1765ccab3d2018e0bd98eb93d973/include/linux/bitmap.h) header file and start to research.
Renaud Germain
2 years ago