This patch series adds bpf_link abstraction, analogous to libbpf's already existing bpf_link abstraction. This formalizes and makes more uniform existing bpf_link-like BPF program link (attachment) types (raw tracepoint and tracing links), which are FD-based objects that are automatically detached when last file reference is closed. These types of BPF program links are switched to using bpf_link framework. FD-based bpf_link approach provides great safety guarantees, by ensuring there is not going to be an abandoned BPF program attached, if user process suddenly exits or forgets to clean up after itself. This is especially important in production environment and is what all the recent new BPF link types followed. One of the previously existing inconveniences of FD-based approach, though, was the scenario in which user process wants to install BPF link and exit, but let attached BPF program run. Now, with bpf_link abstraction in place, it's easy to support pinning links in BPF FS, which is done as part of the same patch #1. This allows FD-based BPF program links to survive exit of a user process and original file descriptor being closed, by creating an file entry in BPF FS. This provides great safety by default, with simple way to opt out for cases where it's needed. Corresponding libbpf APIs are added in the same patch set, as well as selftests for this functionality. Other types of BPF program attachments (XDP, cgroup, perf_event, etc) are going to be converted in subsequent patches to follow similar approach. Andrii Nakryiko (3): bpf: introduce pinnable bpf_link abstraction libbpf: add bpf_link pinning/unpinning selftests/bpf: add link pinning selftests include/linux/bpf.h | 13 ++ kernel/bpf/inode.c | 42 +++- kernel/bpf/syscall.c | 209 +++++++++++++++--- tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c | 131 ++++++++--- tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h | 5 + tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map | 5 + .../selftests/bpf/prog_tests/link_pinning.c | 105 +++++++++ .../selftests/bpf/progs/test_link_pinning.c | 25 +++ 8 files changed, 470 insertions(+), 65 deletions(-) create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/link_pinning.c create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/test_link_pinning.c -- 2.17.1
