[merged mm-stable] mm-add-documentation-for-the-mmap_prepare-file-operation-callback.patch removed from -mm tree

[Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>]

The quilt patch titled
     Subject: mm: add documentation for the mmap_prepare file operation callback
has been removed from the -mm tree.  Its filename was
     mm-add-documentation-for-the-mmap_prepare-file-operation-callback.patch

This patch was dropped because it was merged into the mm-stable branch
of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/akpm/mm

------------------------------------------------------
From: "Lorenzo Stoakes (Oracle)" <ljs@kernel.org>
Subject: mm: add documentation for the mmap_prepare file operation callback
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2026 22:39:28 +0000

This documentation makes it easier for a driver/file system implementer to
correctly use this callback.

It covers the fundamentals, whilst intentionally leaving the less lovely
possible actions one might take undocumented (for instance - the
success_hook, error_hook fields in mmap_action).

The document also covers the new VMA flags implementation which is the
only one which will work correctly with mmap_prepare.

Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/3aebf918c213fa2aecf00a31a444119b5bdd7801.1774045440.git.ljs@kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Lorenzo Stoakes (Oracle) <ljs@kernel.org>
Acked-by: Vlastimil Babka (SUSE) <vbabka@kernel.org>
Cc: Alexander Shishkin <alexander.shishkin@linux.intel.com>
Cc: Alexandre Torgue <alexandre.torgue@foss.st.com>
Cc: Al Viro <viro@zeniv.linux.org.uk>
Cc: Arnd Bergmann <arnd@arndb.de>
Cc: Bodo Stroesser <bostroesser@gmail.com>
Cc: Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>
Cc: Clemens Ladisch <clemens@ladisch.de>
Cc: David Hildenbrand <david@kernel.org>
Cc: David Howells <dhowells@redhat.com>
Cc: Dexuan Cui <decui@microsoft.com>
Cc: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
Cc: Haiyang Zhang <haiyangz@microsoft.com>
Cc: Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz>
Cc: Jann Horn <jannh@google.com>
Cc: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>
Cc: K. Y. Srinivasan <kys@microsoft.com>
Cc: Liam Howlett <liam.howlett@oracle.com>
Cc: Long Li <longli@microsoft.com>
Cc: Marc Dionne <marc.dionne@auristor.com>
Cc: "Martin K. Petersen" <martin.petersen@oracle.com>
Cc: Maxime Coquelin <mcoquelin.stm32@gmail.com>
Cc: Michal Hocko <mhocko@suse.com>
Cc: Mike Rapoport <rppt@kernel.org>
Cc: Miquel Raynal <miquel.raynal@bootlin.com>
Cc: Pedro Falcato <pfalcato@suse.de>
Cc: Richard Weinberger <richard@nod.at>
Cc: Ryan Roberts <ryan.roberts@arm.com>
Cc: Suren Baghdasaryan <surenb@google.com>
Cc: Vignesh Raghavendra <vigneshr@ti.com>
Cc: Wei Liu <wei.liu@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
---

 Documentation/filesystems/index.rst        |    1 
 Documentation/filesystems/mmap_prepare.rst |  142 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 143 insertions(+)

--- a/Documentation/filesystems/index.rst~mm-add-documentation-for-the-mmap_prepare-file-operation-callback
+++ a/Documentation/filesystems/index.rst
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ algorithms work.
    fiemap
    files
    locks
+   mmap_prepare
    multigrain-ts
    mount_api
    quota
diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/mmap_prepare.rst a/Documentation/filesystems/mmap_prepare.rst
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ a/Documentation/filesystems/mmap_prepare.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+===========================
+mmap_prepare callback HOWTO
+===========================
+
+Introduction
+============
+
+The ``struct file->f_op->mmap()`` callback has been deprecated as it is both a
+stability and security risk, and doesn't always permit the merging of adjacent
+mappings resulting in unnecessary memory fragmentation.
+
+It has been replaced with the ``file->f_op->mmap_prepare()`` callback which
+solves these problems.
+
+This hook is called right at the beginning of setting up the mapping, and
+importantly it is invoked *before* any merging of adjacent mappings has taken
+place.
+
+If an error arises upon mapping, it might arise after this callback has been
+invoked, therefore it should be treated as effectively stateless.
+
+That is - no resources should be allocated nor state updated to reflect that a
+mapping has been established, as the mapping may either be merged, or fail to be
+mapped after the callback is complete.
+
+How To Use
+==========
+
+In your driver's struct file_operations struct, specify an ``mmap_prepare``
+callback rather than an ``mmap`` one, e.g. for ext4:
+
+.. code-block:: C
+
+    const struct file_operations ext4_file_operations = {
+        ...
+        .mmap_prepare    = ext4_file_mmap_prepare,
+    };
+
+This has a signature of ``int (*mmap_prepare)(struct vm_area_desc *)``.
+
+Examining the struct vm_area_desc type:
+
+.. code-block:: C
+
+    struct vm_area_desc {
+        /* Immutable state. */
+        const struct mm_struct *const mm;
+        struct file *const file; /* May vary from vm_file in stacked callers. */
+        unsigned long start;
+        unsigned long end;
+
+        /* Mutable fields. Populated with initial state. */
+        pgoff_t pgoff;
+        struct file *vm_file;
+        vma_flags_t vma_flags;
+        pgprot_t page_prot;
+
+        /* Write-only fields. */
+        const struct vm_operations_struct *vm_ops;
+        void *private_data;
+
+        /* Take further action? */
+        struct mmap_action action;
+    };
+
+This is straightforward - you have all the fields you need to set up the
+mapping, and you can update the mutable and writable fields, for instance:
+
+.. code-block:: C
+
+    static int ext4_file_mmap_prepare(struct vm_area_desc *desc)
+    {
+        int ret;
+        struct file *file = desc->file;
+        struct inode *inode = file->f_mapping->host;
+
+        ...
+
+        file_accessed(file);
+        if (IS_DAX(file_inode(file))) {
+            desc->vm_ops = &ext4_dax_vm_ops;
+            vma_desc_set_flags(desc, VMA_HUGEPAGE_BIT);
+        } else {
+            desc->vm_ops = &ext4_file_vm_ops;
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+Importantly, you no longer have to dance around with reference counts or locks
+when updating these fields - **you can simply go ahead and change them**.
+
+Everything is taken care of by the mapping code.
+
+VMA Flags
+---------
+
+Along with ``mmap_prepare``, VMA flags have undergone an overhaul. Where before
+you would invoke one of vm_flags_init(), vm_flags_reset(), vm_flags_set(),
+vm_flags_clear(), and vm_flags_mod() to modify flags (and to have the
+locking done correctly for you, this is no longer necessary.
+
+Also, the legacy approach of specifying VMA flags via ``VM_READ``, ``VM_WRITE``,
+etc. - i.e. using a ``-VM_xxx``- macro has changed too.
+
+When implementing mmap_prepare(), reference flags by their bit number, defined
+as a ``VMA_xxx_BIT`` macro, e.g. ``VMA_READ_BIT``, ``VMA_WRITE_BIT`` etc.,
+and use one of (where ``desc`` is a pointer to struct vm_area_desc):
+
+* ``vma_desc_test_any(desc, ...)`` - Specify a comma-separated list of flags
+  you wish to test for (whether _any_ are set), e.g. - ``vma_desc_test_any(
+  desc, VMA_WRITE_BIT, VMA_MAYWRITE_BIT)`` - returns ``true`` if either are set,
+  otherwise ``false``.
+* ``vma_desc_set_flags(desc, ...)`` - Update the VMA descriptor flags to set
+  additional flags specified by a comma-separated list,
+  e.g. - ``vma_desc_set_flags(desc, VMA_PFNMAP_BIT, VMA_IO_BIT)``.
+* ``vma_desc_clear_flags(desc, ...)`` - Update the VMA descriptor flags to clear
+  flags specified by a comma-separated list, e.g. - ``vma_desc_clear_flags(
+  desc, VMA_WRITE_BIT, VMA_MAYWRITE_BIT)``.
+
+Actions
+=======
+
+You can now very easily have actions be performed upon a mapping once set up by
+utilising simple helper functions invoked upon the struct vm_area_desc
+pointer. These are:
+
+* mmap_action_remap() - Remaps a range consisting only of PFNs for a specific
+  range starting a virtual address and PFN number of a set size.
+
+* mmap_action_remap_full() - Same as mmap_action_remap(), only remaps the
+  entire mapping from ``start_pfn`` onward.
+
+* mmap_action_ioremap() - Same as mmap_action_remap(), only performs an I/O
+  remap.
+
+* mmap_action_ioremap_full() - Same as mmap_action_ioremap(), only remaps
+  the entire mapping from ``start_pfn`` onward.
+
+**NOTE:** The ``action`` field should never normally be manipulated directly,
+rather you ought to use one of these helpers.
_

Patches currently in -mm which might be from ljs@kernel.org are

maintainers-update-mglru-entry-to-reflect-current-status.patch
selftests-mm-add-merge-test-for-partial-msealed-range.patch