[PATCH v2] kthread: update comment for __to_kthread
From: Jiazi Li
Date: Fri Jun 20 2025 - 06:08:57 EST
With commit 343f4c49f243 ("kthread: Don't allocate kthread_struct
for init and umh") and commit 753550eb0ce1 ("fork: Explicitly set
PF_KTHREAD"), umh task no longer have struct kthread and PF_KTHREAD flag.
Update the comment to describe what the current rules are to detect
is something is a kthread.
Suggested-by Eric W . Biederman <ebiederm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Jiazi Li <jqqlijiazi@xxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: mingzhu.wang <mingzhu.wang@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v2:
- describe current rules for detect
---
---
kernel/kthread.c | 11 +++++------
1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
diff --git a/kernel/kthread.c b/kernel/kthread.c
index 85fc068f0083..0e98b228a8ef 100644
--- a/kernel/kthread.c
+++ b/kernel/kthread.c
@@ -88,13 +88,12 @@ static inline struct kthread *to_kthread(struct task_struct *k)
/*
* Variant of to_kthread() that doesn't assume @p is a kthread.
*
- * Per construction; when:
+ * When "(p->flags & PF_KTHREAD)" is set the task is a kthread and will
+ * always remain a kthread. For kthreads p->worker_private always
+ * points to a struct kthread. For tasks that are not kthreads
+ * p->worker_private is used to point to other things.
*
- * (p->flags & PF_KTHREAD) && p->worker_private
- *
- * the task is both a kthread and struct kthread is persistent. However
- * PF_KTHREAD on it's own is not, kernel_thread() can exec() (See umh.c and
- * begin_new_exec()).
+ * Return NULL for any task that is not a kthread.
*/
static inline struct kthread *__to_kthread(struct task_struct *p)
{
--
2.49.0