Linux kernel security is trending in the wrong direction. More complexity, more attack surface, more code churn.
Previously POSIX specified a much stronger (more constr) mem model to which all usable compilers had to comply
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And the pre-C11 [lack of] memory model in C was sufficient for specifying non-concurrent behavior fully.
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So IMO from a practical standpoint C11 significantly weakened the memory model, rather than adding it.
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From a practical standpoint, they've had major issues with their own informal model not matching how GCC works.
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They = Linux kernel devs? I don't doubt it one bit. Their informal model is "C is high level assembler". :-(
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Yeah, they make a lot of assumptions about the memory model; often incorrect even at hardware level outside x86.
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Linus puts the blame on the compilers and weak memory models. They used their own loose version of C11 rules.
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But... without carefully considering how it lined up with the reality in compilers and other architectures.
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And having many concurrent data structures / algorithms not understood even by core developers seems a bit bad.
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