The GC assumes that there will be no asynchronous write barriers when
the world is stopped. This keeps the synchronization between write
barriers and the GC simple. However, currently, there are a few places
in runtime code where this assumption does not hold.
The GC stops the world by collecting all Ps, which stops all user Go
code, but small parts of the runtime can run without a P. For example,
the code that releases a P must still deschedule its G onto a runnable
queue before stopping. Similarly, when a G returns from a long-running
syscall, it must run code to reacquire a P.
Currently, this code can contain write barriers. This can lead to the
GC collecting reachable objects if something like the following
sequence of events happens:
1. GC stops the world by collecting all Ps.
2. G #1 returns from a syscall (for example), tries to install a
pointer to object X, and calls greyobject on X.
3. greyobject on G #1 marks X, but does not yet add it to a write
buffer. At this point, X is effectively black, not grey, even though
it may point to white objects.
4. GC reaches X through some other path and calls greyobject on X, but
greyobject does nothing because X is already marked.
5. GC completes.
6. greyobject on G #1 adds X to a work buffer, but it's too late.
7. Objects that were reachable only through X are incorrectly collected.
To fix this, we check the invariant that no asynchronous write
barriers happen when the world is stopped by checking that write
barriers always have a P, and modify all currently known sources of
these writes to disable the write barrier. In all modified cases this
is safe because the object in question will always be reachable via
some other path.
Some of the trace code was turned off, in particular the
code that traces returning from a syscall. The GC assumes
that as far as the heap is concerned the thread is stopped
when it is in a syscall. Upon returning the trace code
must not do any heap writes for the same reasons discussed
above.