[RFC PATCH v2 1/3] Introduce coroutines framework

Jerome Forissier jerome.forissier at linaro.org
Tue Jan 28 11:19:15 CET 2025


Adds the COROUTINES Kconfig symbol which introduces a new internal API
for coroutines support. As explained in the Kconfig file, this is meant
to provide some kind of cooperative multi-tasking with the goal to
improve performance by overlapping lengthy operations.

The API as well as the implementation is very much inspired from libaco
[1]. The reference implementation is simplified to remove all things
not needed in U-Boot, the coding style is updated, and the aco_ prefix
is replaced by co_.

I believe the stack handling could be simplified: the stack of the main
coroutine could probably probably be used by the secondary coroutines
instead of allocating a new stack dynamically.

Only i386, x86_64 and aarch64 are supported at the moment. Other
architectures need to provide a _co_switch() function in assembly.

Only aarch64 has been tested.

[1] https://github.com/hnes/libaco/

Signed-off-by: Jerome Forissier <jerome.forissier at linaro.org>
---
 arch/arm/cpu/armv8/Makefile    |   1 +
 arch/arm/cpu/armv8/co_switch.S |  36 +++++++
 include/coroutines.h           | 130 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 lib/Kconfig                    |  10 ++
 lib/Makefile                   |   2 +
 lib/coroutines.c               | 165 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 6 files changed, 344 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 arch/arm/cpu/armv8/co_switch.S
 create mode 100644 include/coroutines.h
 create mode 100644 lib/coroutines.c

diff --git a/arch/arm/cpu/armv8/Makefile b/arch/arm/cpu/armv8/Makefile
index 2e71ff2dc97..6d07b6aa9f9 100644
--- a/arch/arm/cpu/armv8/Makefile
+++ b/arch/arm/cpu/armv8/Makefile
@@ -46,3 +46,4 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_TARGET_BCMNS3) += bcmns3/
 obj-$(CONFIG_XEN) += xen/
 obj-$(CONFIG_ARMV8_CE_SHA1) += sha1_ce_glue.o sha1_ce_core.o
 obj-$(CONFIG_ARMV8_CE_SHA256) += sha256_ce_glue.o sha256_ce_core.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_COROUTINES) += co_switch.o
diff --git a/arch/arm/cpu/armv8/co_switch.S b/arch/arm/cpu/armv8/co_switch.S
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4405e89ec56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/arm/cpu/armv8/co_switch.S
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+ */
+/* void _co_switch(struct uco *from_co, struct uco *to_co); */
+.text
+.globl _co_switch
+.type  _co_switch, @function
+_co_switch:
+    // x0: from_co
+    // x1: to_co
+    // from_co and to_co layout: { pc, sp, x19-x29 }
+
+    // Save context to from_co (x0)
+    // AAPCS64 says "A subroutine invocation must preserve the contents of the
+    // registers r19-r29 and SP"
+    adr x2, 1f  // pc we should use to resume after this function
+    mov x3, sp
+    stp x2, x3, [x0, #0]  // pc, sp
+    stp x19, x20, [x0, #16]
+    stp x21, x22, [x0, #32]
+    stp x23, x24, [x0, #48]
+    stp x25, x26, [x0, #64]
+    stp x27, x28, [x0, #80]
+    stp x29, x30, [x0, #96]
+
+    // Load new context from to_co (x1)
+    ldp x2, x3, [x1, #0]  // pc, sp
+    ldp x19, x20, [x1, #16]
+    ldp x21, x22, [x1, #32]
+    ldp x23, x24, [x1, #48]
+    ldp x25, x26, [x1, #64]
+    ldp x27, x28, [x1, #80]
+    ldp x29, x30, [x1, #96]
+    mov sp, x3
+    br x2
+
+1:  // Return to the caller
+    ret
diff --git a/include/coroutines.h b/include/coroutines.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b85b656127c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/coroutines.h
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 OR GPL-2.0-or-later */
+/*
+ * Copyright 2018 Sen Han <00hnes at gmail.com>
+ * Copyright 2025 Linaro Limited
+ */
+
+#ifndef _COROUTINES_H_
+#define _COROUTINES_H_
+
+#ifndef CONFIG_COROUTINES
+
+static inline void co_yield(void) {}
+static inline void co_exit(void) {}
+
+#else
+
+#ifdef __UBOOT__
+#include <log.h>
+#else
+#include <assert.h>
+#endif
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <time.h>
+
+#ifdef __aarch64__
+#define CO_REG_IDX_RETADDR 0
+#define CO_REG_IDX_SP 1
+#else
+#error Architecture no supported
+#endif
+
+struct co_save_stack {
+    void*  ptr;
+    size_t sz;
+    size_t valid_sz;
+    size_t max_cpsz; /* max copy size in bytes */
+};
+
+struct co_stack {
+    void *ptr;
+    size_t sz;
+    void *align_highptr;
+    void *align_retptr;
+    size_t align_validsz;
+    size_t align_limit;
+    struct co *owner;
+    void *real_ptr;
+    size_t real_sz;
+};
+
+struct co {
+	/* CPU state: callee-saved registers plus SP and PC */
+	void *reg[14];  // pc, sp, x19-x29, x30 (lr)
+
+	struct co *main_co;
+	void *arg;
+	bool done;
+
+	void (*fp)(void);
+
+	struct co_save_stack save_stack;
+	struct co_stack *stack;
+};
+
+extern struct co *current_co;
+
+static inline struct co *co_get_co(void)
+{
+	return current_co;
+}
+
+static inline void *co_get_arg(void)
+{
+	return co_get_co()->arg;
+}
+
+struct co_stack *co_stack_new(size_t sz);
+
+void co_stack_destroy(struct co_stack *s);
+
+struct co *co_create(struct co *main_co,
+		     struct co_stack *stack,
+		     size_t save_stack_sz, void (*fp)(void),
+		     void *arg);
+
+void co_resume(struct co *resume_co);
+
+void co_destroy(struct co *co);
+
+void *_co_switch(struct co *from_co, struct co *to_co);
+
+static inline void _co_yield_to_main_co(struct co *yield_co)
+{
+    assert(yield_co);
+    assert(yield_co->main_co);
+    _co_switch(yield_co, yield_co->main_co);
+}
+
+static inline void co_yield(void)
+{
+	if (current_co)
+		_co_yield_to_main_co(current_co);
+}
+
+static inline bool co_is_main_co(struct co *co)
+{
+	return !co->main_co;
+}
+
+static inline void co_exit(void)
+{
+	struct co *co = co_get_co();
+
+	if (!co)
+		return;
+	co->done = true;
+	assert(co->stack->owner == co);
+	co->stack->owner = NULL;
+	co->stack->align_validsz = 0;
+	_co_yield_to_main_co(co);
+	assert(false);
+}
+
+#endif /* CONFIG_COROUTINES */
+#endif /* _COROUTINES_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/Kconfig b/lib/Kconfig
index 8f1a96d98c4..b6c1380b927 100644
--- a/lib/Kconfig
+++ b/lib/Kconfig
@@ -1226,6 +1226,16 @@ config PHANDLE_CHECK_SEQ
 	  enable this config option to distinguish them using
 	  phandles in fdtdec_get_alias_seq() function.
 
+config COROUTINES
+	bool "Enable coroutine support"
+	help
+	  Coroutines allow to implement a simple form of cooperative
+	  multi-tasking. The main thread of execution registers one or
+	  more functions as coroutine entry points, then it schedules one
+	  of them. At any point the scheduled coroutine may yield, that is,
+	  suspend its execution and return back to the main thread. At this
+	  point another coroutine may be scheduled and so on until all the
+	  registered coroutines are done.
 endmenu
 
 source "lib/fwu_updates/Kconfig"
diff --git a/lib/Makefile b/lib/Makefile
index 5cb3278d2ef..7b809151f5a 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile
+++ b/lib/Makefile
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@ obj-$(CONFIG_LIB_ELF) += elf.o
 
 obj-$(CONFIG_$(PHASE_)SEMIHOSTING) += semihosting.o
 
+obj-$(CONFIG_COROUTINES) += coroutines.o
+
 #
 # Build a fast OID lookup registry from include/linux/oid_registry.h
 #
diff --git a/lib/coroutines.c b/lib/coroutines.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..20c5aba5510
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/coroutines.c
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 OR GPL-2.0-or-later
+
+// Copyright 2018 Sen Han <00hnes at gmail.com>
+// Copyright 2025 Linaro Limited
+
+#include <coroutines.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+
+/* Current co-routine */
+struct co *current_co;
+
+struct co_stack *co_stack_new(size_t sz)
+{
+	struct co_stack *p = calloc(1, sizeof(*p));
+	uintptr_t u_p;
+
+	if (!p)
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (sz < 4096)
+		sz = 4096;
+
+	p->sz = sz;
+	p->ptr = malloc(sz);
+	if (!p->ptr) {
+		free(p);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	p->owner = NULL;
+	u_p = (uintptr_t)(p->sz - (sizeof(void*) << 1) + (uintptr_t)p->ptr);
+	u_p = (u_p >> 4) << 4;
+	p->align_highptr = (void*)u_p;
+	p->align_retptr  = (void*)(u_p - sizeof(void*));
+	assert(p->sz > (16 + (sizeof(void*) << 1) + sizeof(void*)));
+	p->align_limit = p->sz - 16 - (sizeof(void*) << 1);
+
+	return p;
+}
+
+void co_stack_destroy(struct co_stack *s){
+	if (!s)
+		return;
+	free(s->ptr);
+	free(s);
+}
+
+struct co *co_create(struct co *main_co,
+		     struct co_stack *stack,
+		     size_t save_stack_sz,
+		     void (*fp)(void), void *arg)
+{
+	struct co *p = malloc(sizeof(*p));
+	assert(p);
+	memset(p, 0, sizeof(*p));
+
+	if (main_co) {
+		assert(stack);
+		p->stack = stack;
+		p->reg[CO_REG_IDX_RETADDR] = (void *)fp;
+		// FIXME original code uses align_retptr; causes a crash
+		p->reg[CO_REG_IDX_SP] = p->stack->align_highptr;
+		p->main_co = main_co;
+		p->arg = arg;
+		p->fp = fp;
+		if (!save_stack_sz)
+			save_stack_sz = 64;
+		p->save_stack.ptr = malloc(save_stack_sz);
+		assert(p->save_stack.ptr);
+		p->save_stack.sz = save_stack_sz;
+		p->save_stack.valid_sz = 0;
+	} else {
+		p->main_co = NULL;
+		p->arg = arg;
+		p->fp = fp;
+		p->stack = NULL;
+		p->save_stack.ptr = NULL;
+	}
+	return p;
+}
+
+static void grab_stack(struct co *resume_co)
+{
+	struct co *owner_co = resume_co->stack->owner;
+
+	if (owner_co) {
+		assert(owner_co->stack == resume_co->stack);
+		assert((uintptr_t)(owner_co->stack->align_retptr) >=
+		       (uintptr_t)(owner_co->reg[CO_REG_IDX_SP]));
+		assert((uintptr_t)owner_co->stack->align_highptr -
+				(uintptr_t)owner_co->stack->align_limit
+			<= (uintptr_t)owner_co->reg[CO_REG_IDX_SP]);
+		owner_co->save_stack.valid_sz =
+			(uintptr_t)owner_co->stack->align_retptr -
+			(uintptr_t)owner_co->reg[CO_REG_IDX_SP];
+		if (owner_co->save_stack.sz < owner_co->save_stack.valid_sz) {
+			free(owner_co->save_stack.ptr);
+			owner_co->save_stack.ptr = NULL;
+			do {
+				owner_co->save_stack.sz <<= 1;
+				assert(owner_co->save_stack.sz > 0);
+			} while (owner_co->save_stack.sz <
+				 owner_co->save_stack.valid_sz);
+			owner_co->save_stack.ptr =
+				malloc(owner_co->save_stack.sz);
+			assert(owner_co->save_stack.ptr);
+		}
+		if (owner_co->save_stack.valid_sz > 0)
+			memcpy(owner_co->save_stack.ptr,
+			       owner_co->reg[CO_REG_IDX_SP],
+			       owner_co->save_stack.valid_sz);
+		if (owner_co->save_stack.valid_sz >
+		    owner_co->save_stack.max_cpsz)
+			owner_co->save_stack.max_cpsz =
+				owner_co->save_stack.valid_sz;
+		owner_co->stack->owner = NULL;
+		owner_co->stack->align_validsz = 0;
+	}
+	assert(!resume_co->stack->owner);
+	assert(resume_co->save_stack.valid_sz <=
+	       resume_co->stack->align_limit - sizeof(void *));
+	if (resume_co->save_stack.valid_sz > 0)
+		memcpy((void*)
+		       (uintptr_t)(resume_co->stack->align_retptr) -
+				resume_co->save_stack.valid_sz,
+		       resume_co->save_stack.ptr,
+		       resume_co->save_stack.valid_sz);
+	if (resume_co->save_stack.valid_sz > resume_co->save_stack.max_cpsz)
+		resume_co->save_stack.max_cpsz = resume_co->save_stack.valid_sz;
+	resume_co->stack->align_validsz =
+		resume_co->save_stack.valid_sz + sizeof(void *);
+	resume_co->stack->owner = resume_co;
+}
+
+void co_resume(struct co *resume_co)
+{
+	assert(resume_co && resume_co->main_co && !resume_co->done);
+
+	if (resume_co->stack->owner != resume_co)
+		grab_stack(resume_co);
+
+	current_co = resume_co;
+	_co_switch(resume_co->main_co, resume_co);
+	current_co = resume_co->main_co;
+}
+
+void co_destroy(struct co *co){
+	if (!co)
+		return;
+
+	if(co_is_main_co(co)){
+		free(co);
+		current_co = NULL;
+	} else {
+		if(co->stack->owner == co){
+			co->stack->owner = NULL;
+			co->stack->align_validsz = 0;
+		}
+		free(co->save_stack.ptr);
+		co->save_stack.ptr = NULL;
+		free(co);
+	}
+}
-- 
2.43.0



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