The ->rcu_read_unlock_special.b.need_qs field in the task_struct
structure indicates that the RCU core needs a quiscent state from the
corresponding task.  The __rcu_read_unlock() function checks this (via
an eventual call to rcu_preempt_deferred_qs_irqrestore()), and if set
reports a quiscent state immediately upon exit from the outermost RCU
read-side critical section.

Currently, this flag is only set when the scheduling-clock interrupt
decides that the current RCU grace period is too old, as in about
one full second too old.  But if the kernel has been built with
CONFIG_RCU_STRICT_GRACE_PERIOD=y, we clearly do not want to wait that
long.  This commit therefore sets the .need_qs field immediately at the
start of the RCU read-side critical section from within __rcu_read_lock()
in order to unconditionally enlist help from __rcu_read_unlock().

But note the additional check for rcu_state.gp_kthread, which prevents
attempts to awaken RCU's grace-period kthread during early boot before
there is a scheduler.  Leaving off this check results in early boot hangs.
So early that there is no console output.  Thus, this additional check
fails until such time as RCU's grace-period kthread has been created,
avoiding these empty-console hangs.

Reported-by Jann Horn <jannh@google.com>
Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@kernel.org>