Re: [PATCH v6 3/4] rust: uaccess: add typed accessors for userspace pointers

From: Benno Lossin
Date: Thu Apr 18 2024 - 12:23:33 EST


On 18.04.24 15:17, Alice Ryhl wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 18, 2024 at 3:02 PM Benno Lossin <benno.lossin@protonme> wrote:
>>
>> On 18.04.24 10:59, Alice Ryhl wrote:
>>> diff --git a/rust/kernel/types.rs b/rust/kernel/types.rs
>>> index 8fad61268465..9c57c6c75553 100644
>>> --- a/rust/kernel/types.rs
>>> +++ b/rust/kernel/types.rs
>>> @@ -409,3 +409,67 @@ pub enum Either<L, R> {
>>> /// Constructs an instance of [`Either`] containing a value of type `R`.
>>> Right(R),
>>> }
>>> +
>>> +/// Types for which any bit pattern is valid.
>>> +///
>>> +/// Not all types are valid for all values. For example, a `bool` must be either zero or one, so
>>> +/// reading arbitrary bytes into something that contains a `bool` is not okay.
>>> +///
>>> +/// It's okay for the type to have padding, as initializing those bytes has no effect.
>>> +///
>>> +/// # Safety
>>> +///
>>> +/// All bit-patterns must be valid for this type. This type must not have interior mutability.
>>
>> What is the reason for disallowing interior mutability here? I agree
>> that it is necessary for `AsBytes`, but I don't think we need it here.
>> For example it is fine to convert `u8` to `UnsafeCell<u8>`. Niches also
>> should not be a problem, since eg `Option<UnsafeCell<NonNull<u8>>>`
>> already fails the "All bit-patterns must be valid for this type".
>
> If T: FromBytes allows transmuting &[u8; size_of::<T>] into &T, then
> it would be a problem as you could then use it to modify the original
> &[u8].

Ahh that makes a lot of sense.

--
Cheers,
Benno