so what's so special about sema_init() for alpha?

["Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@mindspring.com>]

  i'm still curious as to why the implementation for sema_init() for
the alpha can't be simplified as (allegedly) could all of the other
architecture sema_init() calls.

  the relevant code from that semaphore.h is:

===========
static inline void sema_init(struct semaphore *sem, int val)
{
        /*
         * Logically,
         *   *sem = (struct semaphore)__SEMAPHORE_INITIALIZER((*sem),val);
         * except that gcc produces better initializing by parts yet.
         */

        atomic_set(&sem->count, val);
        init_waitqueue_head(&sem->wait);
}
============

  ok, so what means "produces better initializing"?  would a direct
call to __SEMAPHORE_INITIALIZER() work or not?  i'm just curious.  if
it really makes a difference in this one case, i can always resubmit a
patch that simplifies all of the other cases except for this one.

rday