[PATCH bpf-next v2] bpf, docs: Explain helper functions

* [PATCH bpf-next v2] bpf, docs: Explain helper functions
@ 2023-02-06 19:16 Dave Thaler
  2023-02-08 15:10 ` [Bpf] " David Vernet
  2023-02-12 23:20 ` kernel test robot
  0 siblings, 2 replies; 9+ messages in thread
From: Dave Thaler @ 2023-02-06 19:16 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: bpf; +Cc: bpf, Dave Thaler

From: Dave Thaler <dthaler@microsoft.com>

Add text explaining helper functions.
Note that text about runtime functions (kfuncs) is part of a separate patch,
not this one.

Signed-off-by: Dave Thaler <dthaler@microsoft.com>
---
V1 -> V2: addressed comments from Alexei and Stanislav
---
 Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst     |  5 +++++
 Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst | 22 +++++++++++++++++++++-
 2 files changed, 26 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst b/Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst
index 528feddf2db..40c6185513a 100644
--- a/Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst
+++ b/Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ Arithmetic instructions
 For CPU versions prior to 3, Clang v7.0 and later can enable ``BPF_ALU`` support with
 ``-Xclang -target-feature -Xclang +alu32``.  In CPU version 3, support is automatically included.
 
+Reserved instructions
+====================
+
+Clang will generate the reserved ``BPF_CALL | BPF_X | BPF_JMP`` (0x8d) instruction if ``-O0`` is used.
+
 Atomic operations
 =================
 
diff --git a/Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst b/Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst
index 2d3fe59bd26..89a13f1cdeb 100644
--- a/Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst
+++ b/Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ BPF_JSET  0x40   PC += off if dst & src
 BPF_JNE   0x50   PC += off if dst != src
 BPF_JSGT  0x60   PC += off if dst > src     signed
 BPF_JSGE  0x70   PC += off if dst >= src    signed
-BPF_CALL  0x80   function call
+BPF_CALL  0x80   function call              see `Helper functions`_
 BPF_EXIT  0x90   function / program return  BPF_JMP only
 BPF_JLT   0xa0   PC += off if dst < src     unsigned
 BPF_JLE   0xb0   PC += off if dst <= src    unsigned
@@ -202,6 +202,26 @@ BPF_JSLE  0xd0   PC += off if dst <= src    signed
 The eBPF program needs to store the return value into register R0 before doing a
 BPF_EXIT.
 
+Helper functions
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Helper functions are a concept whereby BPF programs can call into a
+set of function calls exposed by the runtime.  Each helper
+function is identified by an integer used in a ``BPF_CALL`` instruction.
+The available helper functions may differ for each program type.
+
+Conceptually, each helper function is implemented with a commonly shared function
+signature defined as:
+
+  u64 function(u64 r1, u64 r2, u64 r3, u64 r4, u64 r5)
+
+In actuality, each helper function is defined as taking between 0 and 5 arguments,
+with the remaining registers being ignored.  The definition of a helper function
+is responsible for specifying the type (e.g., integer, pointer, etc.) of the value returned,
+the number of arguments, and the type of each argument.
+
+Note that ``BPF_CALL | BPF_X | BPF_JMP`` (0x8d), where the helper function integer
+would be read from a specified register, is reserved and currently not permitted.
 
 Load and store instructions
 ===========================
-- 
2.33.4


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