Re: [2.6.26 PATCH, RESEND]: fs_stack/eCryptfs: fsstack_copy_*updates

From: Andrew Morton
Date: Thu May 01 2008 - 20:09:33 EST


On Thu, 1 May 2008 19:44:18 -0400
Erez Zadok <ezk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> In message <20080501122136.bc2215c9.akpm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Andrew Morton writes:
> > On Thu, 1 May 2008 13:18:09 -0400
> > Erez Zadok <ezk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > > In message <20080430101704.9cbd6384.akpm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Andrew Morton writes:
> > > [...[
> > > > Can we avoid having to think?
> > > >
> > > > void fsstack_copy_inode_size(struct inode *dst, const struct inode *src)
> > > > {
> > > > blkcnt_t i_blocks;
> > > > loff_t i_size;
> > > >
> > > > i_size = i_size_read(src);
> > > > spin_lock_32bit(&src->i_lock);
> > > > i_blocks = src->i_blocks;
> > > > spin_unlock_32bit(&src->i_lock);
> > > >
> > > > i_size_write(dst, i_size);
> > > > spin_lock_32bit(&dst->i_lock)
> > > > dst->i_blocks = i_blocks;
> > > > spin_unlock_32bit(&dst->i_lock)
> > > > }
> > >
> > > I can't find spin_[um]lock_32bit anywhere (checkd latest mmotm and linus's
> > > tree). I therefore assume this was just your way of saying I should:
> > >
> > > #if BITS_PER_LONG == 32
> > > spin_unlock(&dst->i_lock);
> > > #endif
> >
> > Nope, it was my way of suggesting that you implement it ;)
> > include/linux/spinlock.h would be a good place.
>
> Sure, I can implement it and submit a patch. But I've got two questions
> first:
>
> 1. i_size_read has a tri-state behaviour:
>
> #if BITS_PER_LONG==32 && defined(CONFIG_SMP)
> // play with seqcount
> #elif BITS_PER_LONG==32 && defined(CONFIG_PREEMPT)
> // wrap in preempt_disable/enable
> #else
> // just return value
> #endif
>
> Shouldn't the same be done for i_blocks, with matching i_blocks_read(),
> i_blocks_write(), and adding an inode->i_blocks_seqcount field?

I guess so, yes. Maybe there are other things too. We just haven't cared
enough to do all this fuss for i_blocks. Even i_size was a bit marginal.

i_size is much more important because glitches in there can result in
incorrect data being returned from read() and things like that. i_blocks
is just a beancounting curiosity.

>
> 2. I've rewritten your suggested code a bit to reduce stack use. Modulo
> having 32-bit spin_lock/unlock variants, do you see any problem with this
> code below? My testing of it so far on 32/64-bit SMP/UMP have all
> passed.
>
> void fsstack_copy_inode_size(struct inode *dst, struct inode *src)
> {
> #if BITS_PER_LONG == 32
> blkcnt_t i_blocks;
>
> spin_lock(&src->i_lock);
> i_blocks = src->i_blocks;
> spin_unlock(&src->i_lock);
> spin_lock(&dst->i_lock);
> dst->i_blocks = i_blocks;
> spin_unlock(&dst->i_lock);
> #else
> dst->i_blocks = src->i_blocks;
> #endif
> i_size_write(dst, i_size_read(src));
> }

That looks sane, as long as we don't care about i_size-vs-i_blocks
coherency.

However I expect that approximately zero of the sites which modify i_blocks
are taking i_lock to do so.

otoh, many of them _will_ accidentally have i_mutex coverage. On the
write() path at least. What happened to that idea?
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