tree 2bf7371d9d5594581cb0b6b9a9b85b651f7d7e28
parent a5ba7971045a90a36cef8f7d5a3075600b475b74
author Tim Hockin <thockin@google.com> 1185030635 +0200
committer Linus Torvalds <torvalds@woody.linux-foundation.org> 1185068230 -0700

x86_64: O_EXCL on /dev/mcelog

Background:
 /dev/mcelog is a clear-on-read interface.  It is currently possible for
 multiple users to open and read() the device.  Users are protected from
 each other during any one read, but not across reads.

Description:
 This patch adds support for O_EXCL to /dev/mcelog.  If a user opens the
 device with O_EXCL, no other user may open the device (EBUSY).  Likewise,
 any user that tries to open the device with O_EXCL while another user has
 the device will fail (EBUSY).

Result:
 Applications can get exclusive access to /dev/mcelog.  Applications that
 do not care will be unchanged.

Alternatives:
 A simpler choice would be to only allow one open() at all, regardless of
 O_EXCL.

Testing:
 I wrote an application that opens /dev/mcelog with O_EXCL and observed
 that any other app that tried to open /dev/mcelog would fail until the
 exclusive app had closed the device.

Caveats:
 None.

Signed-off-by: Tim Hockin <thockin@google.com>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Andi Kleen <ak@suse.de>
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>