Enable XSAVES in Linux / Linux Plumbers Conference: Developing the Kernel, Libraries and Utilities

Enable XSAVES in Linux

This proposal has been rejected.

One Line Summary

This presentation discusses XSAVES features and experience learned from the implementation in Linux.

Abstract

XSAVES is an instruction that saves processor extended states: x87 FPU, MMX, SSE, AVX, AVX512, MPX, and Protection keys. In Linux, it is primarily used for kernel context switch. XSAVES evolves from earlier XSAVE, XSAVEC, and XSAVEOPT; combines memory-write optimization, space saving, and supervisor states into a new instruction. When these new features met existing implementation in the kernel, some issues emerged. This presentation starts from highlights of XSAVES; contrasts new processor capabilities with existing assumptions; shares the experience learned; and summarizes testing effort.

Speaker

Yu-cheng Yu
Intel Corporation
Biography

Yu-cheng Yu is a Linux kernel developer at Intel. He had worked on Intel KGT, HAXM, and Android emulator.