Re: [PATCH 12/25] sysfs: Introduce sysfs_rename_mutex

From: Tejun Heo
Date: Wed Aug 08 2007 - 04:19:59 EST


Hello, Eric.

Eric W. Biederman wrote:
> Looking carefully at the rename code we have a subtle dependency
> that the structure of sysfs not change while we are performing
> a rename. If the parent directory of the object we are renaming
> changes while the rename is being performed nasty things could
> happen when we go to release our locks.
>
> So introduce a sysfs_rename_mutex to prevent this highly
> unlikely theoretical issue.

Yeah, it's a theoretical issue. Rename/move implementation has always
depended on the parent structure not changing beneath it, but it's nice
to tighten up loose ends.

> +DEFINE_MUTEX(sysfs_rename_mutex);

Probably doesn't really matter but wouldn't a rwsem fit better?

> @@ -774,7 +775,7 @@ static struct dentry *__sysfs_get_dentry(struct super_block *sb, struct sysfs_di
> * down from there looking up dentry for each step.
> *
> * LOCKING:
> - * Kernel thread context (may sleep)
> + * mutex_lock(sysfs_rename_mutex)

LOCKING describes what locks should be held when entering the function,
so proper description would be something like...

Kernel thread context, grabs sysfs_rename_mutex

Thanks.

--
tejun
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