On 2024-11-13 08:43:32 [+0100], To Tejun Heo wrote: > On 2024-11-12 08:59:16 [-1000], Tejun Heo wrote: > > Hello, > > Hi, > > > On Tue, Nov 12, 2024 at 04:52:39PM +0100, Sebastian Andrzej Siewior wrote: > > ... > > > /** > > > - * pr_cont_kernfs_name - pr_cont name of a kernfs_node > > > + * pr_cont_kernfs_name_rcu - pr_cont name of a kernfs_node > > > * @kn: kernfs_node of interest > > > * > > > - * This function can be called from any context. > > > + * This function can be called from any context. The root node must be with > > > + * KERNFS_ROOT_SAME_PARENT. > > > */ > > > -void pr_cont_kernfs_name(struct kernfs_node *kn) > > > +void pr_cont_kernfs_name_rcu(struct kernfs_node *kn) > > > > Having to split the interface all the way up isn't great. While there are > > also downsides, I wonder whether a better approach here is just making the > > backend function (kernfs_path_from_node()) automatically use RCU locking if > > the flag is set rather than propagating the difference by splitting the > > interface. The distinction doesn't mean anything to most users after all. > > Indeed. Now I see what the problems are. If we merge both into one, then I get this: | int kernfs_name(struct kernfs_node *kn, char *buf, size_t buflen) | { | struct kernfs_root *root; | bool rcu_lookup; | | if (!kn) | return strscpy(buf, "(null)", buflen); | | root = kernfs_root(kn); This is the tricky part. For KERNFS_ROOT_INVARIANT_PARENT I don't worry that the parent goes away and I need it to get a reference to the kernfs_root node. For the !KERNFS_ROOT_INVARIANT_PARENT I need the lock for kernfs_root() so I put the guard/ lock at the top. I think that is why you suggested the two functions (or this is what I understood). Looking at the remaining bits: | rcu_lookup = root->flags & KERNFS_ROOT_INVARIANT_PARENT; | if (rcu_lookup) { | guard(rcu)(); | return strscpy(buf, kn->parent ? rcu_dereference(kn->name) : "/", buflen); | } | guard(read_lock_irqsave)(&kernfs_rename_lock); | return strscpy(buf, kn->parent ? rcu_dereference(kn->name) : "/", buflen); | } This could collapse into the RCU version because read_lock_irqsave() implies RCU protection. And since ->name is always RCU assigned/ deallocated I don't really need the lock here, RCU would be enough. Except for the parent. The kn->parent does not matter here (it should be always be != NULL if assigned), the problematic part is kernfs_root() which checks the parent for the root node. To make this simple I could avoid kernfs_root lookup and just have: | int kernfs_name(struct kernfs_node *kn, char *buf, size_t buflen) | { | if (!kn) | return strscpy(buf, "(null)", buflen); | | guard(rcu)(); | return strscpy(buf, kn->parent ? rcu_dereference(kn->name) : "/", buflen); | } That is the easy part. kernfs_path_from_node() is different as it requires the parent pointer. In order to distinguish the RCU from the non-RCU version I need kernfs_root for the flag and depending on it, the lock so the parent does not go away. Would it work to add the pointer to kernfs_root into kernfs_node? This would shrink kernfs_elem_dir by a pointer but the union would remain the same size due to kernfs_elem_attr so the struct would grow. > > Thanks. Sebastian