+ * When the quantum expires the handler proc_needPreempt() checks if the
+ * preemption is enabled and in this case preempt_schedule() is called, that
+ * possibly replaces the current running thread with a different one.
+ *
+ * The preemption can be disabled or enabled via proc_forbid() and
+ * proc_permit() primitives. This is implemented using a global atomic counter.
+ * When the counter is greater than 0 the task cannot be preempted; only when
+ * the counter reaches 0 the task can be preempted again.
+ *
+ * Preemption-disabled sections may be nested. The preemption will be
+ * re-enabled when the outermost preemption-disabled section completes.
+ *
+ * The voluntary preemption still happens via proc_switch() or proc_yield().
+ * The first one assumes the current process has been already added to a
+ * private wait queue (e.g., on a semaphore or a signal), while the second one
+ * takes care of adding the process into the ready queue.
+ *
+ * Context switch is done by CPU-dependent support routines. In case of a
+ * voluntary preemption the context switch routine must take care of
+ * saving/restoring only the callee-save registers (the voluntary-preemption is
+ * actually a function call). The kernel-preemption always happens inside a
+ * signal/interrupt context and it must take care of saving all registers. For
+ * this, in the entry point of each ISR the caller-save registers must be
+ * saved. In the ISR exit point, if the context switch must happen, we switch
+ * to user-context and call the same voluntary context switch routine that take
+ * care of saving/restoring also the callee-save registers. On resume from the
+ * switch, the interrupt exit point moves back to interrupt-context, resumes
+ * the caller-save registers (saved in the ISR entry point) and return from the
+ * interrupt-context.
+ *
+ * \note Thread priority (if enabled by CONFIG_KERN_PRI) defines the order in
+ * the \p proc_ready_list and the capability to deschedule a running process. A
+ * low-priority thread can't preempt a high-priority thread.
+ *
+ * A high-priority process can preempt a low-priority process immediately (it
+ * will be descheduled and replaced in the interrupt exit point). Processes
+ * running at the same priority can be descheduled when they expire the time
+ * quantum.
+ *
+ * \note Sleeping while preemption is disabled fallbacks to a busy-wait sleep.
+ * Voluntary preemption when preemption is disabled raises a kernel bug.