[PATCH bpf-next,v2] bpf: clarify BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP behavior for bpf_ringbuf_discard()

[PATCH bpf-next,v2] bpf: clarify BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP behavior for bpf_ringbuf_discard()

[Eyal Birger]

Clarify bpf_ringbuf_discard() documentation for BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP.

Discarded ring buffer records are still left in the ring buffer and are
only skipped when user space consumes them. This can matter when
BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP is used: a later submit relying on adaptive wakeup
might not wake the consumer, because the discarded record still needs to
be consumed first.

Scenario:

epoll_wait(rb_fd);                     // blocks

rec = bpf_ringbuf_reserve(&rb, ...);
bpf_ringbuf_discard(rec, BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP);

rec = bpf_ringbuf_reserve(&rb, ...);
bpf_ringbuf_submit(rec, 0);           // valid record, but no wakeup

Document this in bpf_ringbuf_discard() to make the interaction between
discarded records, user-space consumption, and adaptive wakeups explicit.

Reported-by: Shmulik Ladkani <shmulik.ladkani@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Eyal Birger <eyal.birger@gmail.com>

----

v2: adapt wording per feedback from Andrii.
---
 include/uapi/linux/bpf.h       | 4 +++-
 tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h | 4 +++-
 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h b/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
index c8d400b7680a..552bc5d9afbd 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
@@ -4645,7 +4645,9 @@ union bpf_attr {
  * 	Description
  * 		Discard reserved ring buffer sample, pointed to by *data*.
  * 		If **BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP** is specified in *flags*, no notification
- * 		of new data availability is sent.
+ * 		of new data availability is sent. Discarded records remain in
+ * 		the ring buffer until consumed by user space, so a later submit
+ * 		using adaptive wakeup might not wake up the consumer.
  * 		If **BPF_RB_FORCE_WAKEUP** is specified in *flags*, notification
  * 		of new data availability is sent unconditionally.
  * 		If **0** is specified in *flags*, an adaptive notification
diff --git a/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h b/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
index 5e38b4887de6..677be9a47347 100644
--- a/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
+++ b/tools/include/uapi/linux/bpf.h
@@ -4645,7 +4645,9 @@ union bpf_attr {
  * 	Description
  * 		Discard reserved ring buffer sample, pointed to by *data*.
  * 		If **BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP** is specified in *flags*, no notification
- * 		of new data availability is sent.
+ * 		of new data availability is sent. Discarded records remain in
+ * 		the ring buffer until consumed by user space, so a later submit
+ * 		using adaptive wakeup might not wake up the consumer.
  * 		If **BPF_RB_FORCE_WAKEUP** is specified in *flags*, notification
  * 		of new data availability is sent unconditionally.
  * 		If **0** is specified in *flags*, an adaptive notification
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH bpf-next,v2] bpf: clarify BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP behavior for bpf_ringbuf_discard()

[patchwork-bot+netdevbpf]

Hello:

This patch was applied to bpf/bpf-next.git (master)
by Andrii Nakryiko <andrii@kernel.org>:

On Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:06:12 -0700 you wrote:
> Clarify bpf_ringbuf_discard() documentation for BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP.
> 
> Discarded ring buffer records are still left in the ring buffer and are
> only skipped when user space consumes them. This can matter when
> BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP is used: a later submit relying on adaptive wakeup
> might not wake the consumer, because the discarded record still needs to
> be consumed first.
> 
> [...]

Here is the summary with links:
  - [bpf-next,v2] bpf: clarify BPF_RB_NO_WAKEUP behavior for bpf_ringbuf_discard()
    https://git.kernel.org/bpf/bpf-next/c/f9a80c7ce49e

You are awesome, thank you!
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