userspace: dp: Add option for executing userspace module IPC in DP thread by softwarecki · Pull Request #10579 · thesofproject/sof

softwarecki · 2026-02-25T17:02:05Z

Add the SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD Kconfig option and implement support for executing userspace module IPC in its DP thread instead of the shared user worker thread.

…read Add the SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD Kconfig option and implement support for executing userspace module IPC in its DP thread instead of the shared user worker thread. Signed-off-by: Adrian Warecki <adrian.warecki@intel.com>

Copilot

Pull request overview

Adds a Zephyr Kconfig option to route userspace module IPC handling through each module’s DP thread (instead of the shared userspace worker), and wires DP-thread event/work-item plumbing through the DP scheduler and userspace proxy layers.

Changes:

Add SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD Kconfig option.
Extend DP scheduler thread/event handling to wake on IPC events and run the userspace proxy IPC handler in the DP thread.
Update userspace proxy to optionally signal/await IPC via the DP thread’s k_event, plus adjust system-agent startup timing for this mode.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 7 out of 7 changed files in this pull request and generated 7 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
`zephyr/Kconfig`	Adds the new configuration option controlling IPC execution context.
`src/schedule/zephyr_dp_schedule_thread.c`	Handles IPC events in DP thread and registers per-module IPC handler/event linkage.
`src/schedule/zephyr_dp_schedule.h`	Adds per-task storage for the IPC work item pointer.
`src/include/sof/audio/module_adapter/library/userspace_proxy.h`	Extends userspace context with DP-thread event pointer and declares IPC handler registration API.
`src/audio/module_adapter/module_adapter.c`	Adjusts DP task/free sequencing around userspace application teardown.
`src/audio/module_adapter/module/generic.c`	Tweaks DP task cancellation behavior under the new IPC-by-DP-thread mode.
`src/audio/module_adapter/library/userspace_proxy.c`	Implements DP-thread IPC signaling path, IPC handler registration, and defers agent startup in this mode.

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Copilot · 2026-02-25T17:12:38Z

src/audio/module_adapter/library/userspace_proxy.c

+		user_ctx->dp_event = event;
+		user_ctx->work_item->event = event;
+
+		assert(user_ctx->work_item);


userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler() dereferences user_ctx->work_item before validating it (user_ctx->work_item->event = event; happens before assert(user_ctx->work_item)). This can NULL-deref if work item allocation/init failed. Assert/check user_ctx->work_item before using it and return NULL/error if missing.

Suggested change

user_ctx->dp_event = event;

user_ctx->work_item->event = event;

assert(user_ctx->work_item);

if (!user_ctx->work_item) {

tr_err(&userspace_proxy_tr,

"userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler(): work_item is NULL for module %p",

(void *)mod);

return NULL;

}

user_ctx->dp_event = event;

user_ctx->work_item->event = event;

Copilot · 2026-02-25T17:12:39Z

src/audio/module_adapter/library/userspace_proxy.c

+	/* Start the system agent, if provided. */
+	if (start_fn) {
+		params->ext.agent.params = *agent_params;
+		params->ext.agent.mod_cfg = *mod_cfg;

-	*agent_interface = params->ext.agent.out_interface;
-	return params->status;
+		/* In case of processing modules ipc in the DP thread, the agent will be started in the
+		 * init function. At this point the DP thread does not exist yet.
+		 */
+#if !IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD)
+		int ret = userspace_proxy_invoke(user_ctx, USER_PROXY_MOD_CMD_AGENT_START, true);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		*agent_interface = params->ext.agent.out_interface;
+		return params->status;
+#endif
+	}
+	return 0;


With CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD enabled, userspace_proxy_start_agent() no longer invokes start_fn and does not populate *agent_interface. This breaks the LMDK path where native_system_agent_start() is what initializes ops (via agent_iface = (const void **)&ops), and ops is used immediately after userspace_proxy_create() returns. Either keep starting the agent here for cases that must produce ops/agent_interface, or provide an alternative initialization path that guarantees ops is valid before returning from userspace_proxy_create().

Copilot · 2026-02-25T17:12:39Z

src/audio/module_adapter/library/userspace_proxy.c

 				  bool ipc_payload_access)
 {
+#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD)
+	struct k_event * const event = user_ctx->dp_event;


In the DP-thread IPC mode, userspace_proxy_invoke() uses user_ctx->dp_event. dp_event is set later via userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler(), but the userspace_context is allocated with k_heap_alloc() (not zeroed), so dp_event can contain garbage until explicitly set. Initialize dp_event to NULL when creating the context and fail fast (return an error) if dp_event is still NULL when invoking IPC.

Suggested change

struct k_event * const event = user_ctx->dp_event;

struct k_event * const event = user_ctx->dp_event;

if (!event) {

tr_err(&userspace_proxy_tr,

"userspace_proxy_invoke(): DP event not registered");

return -EINVAL;

}

Copilot · 2026-02-25T17:12:39Z

src/audio/module_adapter/module_adapter.c

 	ret = module_free(mod);
 	if (ret)
 		comp_err(dev, "failed with error: %d", ret);

+	if (dev->task)
+		schedule_task_free(dev->task);
+


The ordering here contradicts the comment and can keep the DP thread alive while module_free(mod) runs. schedule_task_free() joins/aborts the DP thread; moving it after module_free() risks use-after-free if the thread is still runnable or if any late events occur. Restore the safe order: run the thread-context .free IPC, then schedule_task_free(dev->task), then module_free(mod) / remaining cleanup.

Suggested change

ret = module_free(mod);

if (ret)

comp_err(dev, "failed with error: %d", ret);

if (dev->task)

schedule_task_free(dev->task);

if (dev->task)

schedule_task_free(dev->task);

ret = module_free(mod);

if (ret)

comp_err(dev, "failed with error: %d", ret);

Copilot · 2026-02-25T17:12:40Z

zephyr/Kconfig

+config SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD
+	bool "Handle modules IPC in DP thread"
+	depends on USERSPACE
+	help
+	  When enabled, IPC requests targeted to a userspace module are executed
+	  in its DP thread instead of the shared user worker thread.
+


SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD can be enabled when SOF_USERSPACE_PROXY is disabled, but the implementation relies on userspace proxy headers/symbols (e.g., userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler() / userspace_proxy_worker_handler()). Add a dependency on SOF_USERSPACE_PROXY (and any other required options) to avoid invalid configurations / build failures.

Copilot · 2026-02-25T17:12:40Z

src/schedule/zephyr_dp_schedule_thread.c

 	bool task_stop;
+	uint32_t event;



task_stop is not initialized on each loop iteration. If the DP thread wakes up only for DP_TASK_EVENT_IPC (no PROCESS/CANCEL), task_stop keeps an indeterminate/stale value but is still used in while (!task_stop), which can lead to premature exit or an infinite loop. Initialize task_stop (e.g., to false) before the loop or at the top of each iteration, and make sure it’s set on all event paths.

Copilot · 2026-02-25T17:12:40Z

src/schedule/zephyr_dp_schedule_thread.c

 	k_thread_start(pdata->thread_id);

+#if IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_MOD_IPC_BY_DP_THREAD)
+	pdata->ipc_work_item = userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler(mod, pdata->event);


The return value of userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler() is not checked. If it returns NULL (e.g., missing/failed work item setup), the thread will later hit assert(task_pdata->ipc_work_item) on an IPC event and crash. Handle the NULL return here (propagate an error, disable IPC-by-DP-thread for this task, or avoid asserting later).

Suggested change

pdata->ipc_work_item = userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler(mod, pdata->event);

pdata->ipc_work_item = userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler(mod, pdata->event);

if (!pdata->ipc_work_item) {

tr_err(&dp_tr, "userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler() failed");

ret = -ENOMEM;

goto e_thread;

}

softwarecki requested review from abonislawski, Copilot, tmleman and wjablon1 February 25, 2026 17:02

softwarecki requested review from LaurentiuM1234, dbaluta, iuliana-prodan, jxstelter, kv2019i, lbetlej, lgirdwood, lyakh, marcinszkudlinski, mmaka1, pblaszko, plbossart and ranj063 as code owners February 25, 2026 17:02

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of softwarecki February 25, 2026 17:04 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Feb 25, 2026

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userspace: dp: Add option for executing userspace module IPC in DP thread#10579

userspace: dp: Add option for executing userspace module IPC in DP thread#10579
softwarecki wants to merge 1 commit intothesofproject:mainfrom
softwarecki:userspace-ipc-in-dp

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-	struct k_event * const event = user_ctx->dp_event;
+	struct k_event * const event = user_ctx->dp_event;
+	if (!event) {
+		tr_err(&userspace_proxy_tr,
+		       "userspace_proxy_invoke(): DP event not registered");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}

-	pdata->ipc_work_item = userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler(mod, pdata->event);
+	pdata->ipc_work_item = userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler(mod, pdata->event);
+	if (!pdata->ipc_work_item) {
+		tr_err(&dp_tr, "userspace_proxy_register_ipc_handler() failed");
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
+		goto e_thread;
+	}

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