the CPU hotplug problems (crashes under high-volume unplug+replug
tests) seem to be related to migrate_dead_tasks().
Firstly I added traces to see all tasks being migrated with
migrate_live_tasks() and migrate_dead_tasks(). On my setup the problem
pops up (the one with "se == NULL" in the loop of
pick_next_task_fair()) shortly after the traces indicate that some has
been migrated with migrate_dead_tasks()). btw., I can reproduce it
much faster now with just a plain cpu down/up loop.
[disclaimer] Well, unless I'm really missing something important in
this late hour [/desclaimer] pick_next_task() is not something
appropriate for migrate_dead_tasks() :-)
the following change seems to eliminate the problem on my setup
(although, I kept it running only for a few minutes to get a few
messages indicating migrate_dead_tasks() does move tasks and the
system is still ok)