Michal Hocko wrote: > On Wed 27-04-16 19:53:21, Tetsuo Handa wrote: > [...] > > > Let's hope that filesystems will drop direct GFP_NOFS (resp. ~__GFP_FS) > > > usage as much and possible and only use a properly documented > > > memalloc_nofs_{save,restore} checkpoints where they are appropriate. > > > > Is the story simple enough to monotonically replace GFP_NOFS/GFP_NOIO > > with GFP_KERNEL after memalloc_no{fs,io}_{save,restore} are inserted? > > We sometimes delegate some operations to somebody else. Don't we need to > > convey PF_MEMALLOC_NOFS/PF_MEMALLOC_NOIO flags to APIs which interact with > > other threads? > > We can add an api to do that if that is really needed. > I'm not familiar with integrity subsystem. But if call traces shown below is possible and evm_verify_hmac() is called from genuine GFP_NOFS context, we are currently using GFP_KERNEL incorrectly. Therefore, inserting memalloc_nofs_{save,restore} would avoid possible memory reclaim deadlock by __GFP_FS. ---------- static enum integrity_status evm_verify_hmac(struct dentry *dentry, const char *xattr_name, char *xattr_value, size_t xattr_value_len, struct integrity_iint_cache *iint) { rc = vfs_getxattr_alloc(dentry, XATTR_NAME_EVM, (char **)&xattr_data, 0, GFP_NOFS); /***** GFP_NOFS is used here. *****/ rc = integrity_digsig_verify(INTEGRITY_KEYRING_EVM, (const char *)xattr_data, xattr_len, calc.digest, sizeof(calc.digest)) { keyring[id] = request_key(&key_type_keyring, keyring_name[id], NULL) { key = request_key_and_link(type, description, callout_info, callout_len, NULL, NULL, KEY_ALLOC_IN_QUOTA) { key = construct_key_and_link(&ctx, callout_info, callout_len, aux, dest_keyring, flags) { ret = construct_alloc_key(ctx, dest_keyring, flags, user, &key) { key = key_alloc(ctx->index_key.type, ctx->index_key.description, ctx->cred->fsuid, ctx->cred->fsgid, ctx->cred, perm, flags) { key = kmem_cache_zalloc(key_jar, GFP_KERNEL); /***** Needs to use GFP_NOFS here if above GFP_NOFS usage is correct. *****/ } } ret = construct_key(key, callout_info, callout_len, aux, dest_keyring) { cons = kmalloc(sizeof(*cons), GFP_KERNEL); /***** Ditto. *****/ actor = call_sbin_request_key; ret = actor(cons, "create", aux) { ret = call_usermodehelper_keys(argv[0], argv, envp, keyring, UMH_WAIT_PROC) { info = call_usermodehelper_setup(path, argv, envp, GFP_KERNEL, umh_keys_init, umh_keys_cleanup, session_keyring); /***** Ditto. *****/ return call_usermodehelper_exec(info, wait) { queue_work(system_unbound_wq, &sub_info->work); /***** Queuing a GFP_NOFS work item here if above GFP_NOFS usage is correct. *****/ wait_for_completion(&done); /***** But kworker uses GFP_KERNEL to create process for executing userspace program. *****/ } } } } } } } } } ---------- But there is a path where evm_verify_hmac() calls usermode helper. If evm_verify_hmac() calls usermode helper from genuine GFP_NOFS context, we will be still failing to tell kworker to use GFP_NOFS. More problematic thing might be that we queue both GFP_KERNEL work item and GFP_NOFS work item into the same work queue. This means that the kworker will try __GFP_FS reclaim if current GFP_KERNEL work item and be blocked on a fs lock held by next GFP_NOFS work item. Then, simply conveying PF_MEMALLOC_NOFS/PF_MEMALLOC_NOIO flags to other threads is not sufficient, and we need to create separate workqueues (and respective consumers) for GFP_KERNEL work items and GFP_NOFS work items? (Or we have no such problem because khelper_wq was replaced with system_unbound_wq ?) -- To unsubscribe, send a message with 'unsubscribe linux-mm' in the body to majordomo@xxxxxxxxx. For more info on Linux MM, see: http://www.linux-mm.org/ . Don't email: <a href=mailto:"dont@xxxxxxxxx"> email@xxxxxxxxx </a>