From: Andrey Grodzovsky <andrey.grodzovsky@crowdstrike.com>
To: <bpf@vger.kernel.org>, <andrii@kernel.org>
Cc: <ast@kernel.org>, <martin.kelly@crowdstrike.com>,
<slava.imameev@crowdstrike.com>,
<linux-open-source@crowdstrike.com>
Subject: [PATCH bpf-next v4 1/7] libbpf: BPF program load strategy enum
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:39:31 -0400 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260921223937.3203093-2-andrey.grodzovsky@crowdstrike.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260921223937.3203093-1-andrey.grodzovsky@crowdstrike.com>
From: Slava Imameev <slava.imameev@crowdstrike.com>
Replacing the boolean field with an enum simplifies the addition
of new load strategies. Currently, the bpf_program structure defines
the autoload behavior using a boolean field. This field is now
replaced with an enum, allowing new BPF program loading strategies
to be introduced by extending the enum value range.
Signed-off-by: Slava Imameev <slava.imameev@crowdstrike.com>
Signed-off-by: Andrey Grodzovsky <andrey.grodzovsky@crowdstrike.com>
---
tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c | 50 +++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------
tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h | 33 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map | 2 ++
3 files changed, 66 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-)
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index 2f53afc985cf..d88df7e4c86d 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ struct bpf_program {
struct bpf_object *obj;
int fd;
- bool autoload;
+ enum bpf_prog_load_strategy load_strategy;
bool autoattach;
bool sym_global;
bool mark_btf_static;
@@ -872,11 +872,11 @@ bpf_object__init_prog(struct bpf_object *obj, struct bpf_program *prog,
* autoload set to false.
*/
if (sec_name[0] == '?') {
- prog->autoload = false;
+ prog->load_strategy = BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED;
/* from now on forget there was ? in section name */
sec_name++;
} else {
- prog->autoload = true;
+ prog->load_strategy = BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO;
}
prog->autoattach = true;
@@ -1163,7 +1163,8 @@ static int bpf_object_adjust_struct_ops_autoload(struct bpf_object *obj)
}
}
if (use_cnt)
- prog->autoload = should_load;
+ prog->load_strategy = should_load ? BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO
+ : BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED;
}
return 0;
@@ -1254,7 +1255,7 @@ static int bpf_map__init_kern_struct_ops(struct bpf_map *map)
* then bpf_object_adjust_struct_ops_autoload() will update its
* autoload accordingly.
*/
- st_ops->progs[i]->autoload = false;
+ st_ops->progs[i]->load_strategy = BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED;
st_ops->progs[i] = NULL;
}
@@ -1292,7 +1293,7 @@ static int bpf_map__init_kern_struct_ops(struct bpf_map *map)
* if user replaced it with another program or NULL
*/
if (st_ops->progs[i] && st_ops->progs[i] != prog)
- st_ops->progs[i]->autoload = false;
+ st_ops->progs[i]->load_strategy = BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED;
/* Update the value from the shadow type */
st_ops->progs[i] = prog;
@@ -3592,7 +3593,7 @@ static bool obj_needs_vmlinux_btf(const struct bpf_object *obj)
}
bpf_object__for_each_program(prog, obj) {
- if (!prog->autoload)
+ if (prog->load_strategy == BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED)
continue;
if (prog_needs_vmlinux_btf(prog))
return true;
@@ -6186,7 +6187,7 @@ bpf_object__relocate_core(struct bpf_object *obj, const char *targ_btf_path)
/* no need to apply CO-RE relocation if the program is
* not going to be loaded
*/
- if (!prog->autoload)
+ if (prog->load_strategy == BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED)
continue;
/* adjust insn_idx from section frame of reference to the local
@@ -7530,7 +7531,7 @@ static int bpf_object__relocate(struct bpf_object *obj, const char *targ_btf_pat
*/
if (prog_is_subprog(obj, prog))
continue;
- if (!prog->autoload)
+ if (prog->load_strategy == BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED)
continue;
err = bpf_object__relocate_calls(obj, prog);
@@ -7566,7 +7567,7 @@ static int bpf_object__relocate(struct bpf_object *obj, const char *targ_btf_pat
prog = &obj->programs[i];
if (prog_is_subprog(obj, prog))
continue;
- if (!prog->autoload)
+ if (prog->load_strategy == BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED)
continue;
/* Process data relos for main programs */
@@ -8405,8 +8406,8 @@ bpf_object__load_progs(struct bpf_object *obj, int log_level)
prog = &obj->programs[i];
if (prog_is_subprog(obj, prog))
continue;
- if (!prog->autoload) {
- pr_debug("prog '%s': skipped loading\n", prog->name);
+ if (prog->load_strategy != BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO) {
+ pr_debug("prog '%s': skipped auto-loading\n", prog->name);
continue;
}
prog->log_level |= log_level;
@@ -9807,16 +9808,13 @@ const char *bpf_program__section_name(const struct bpf_program *prog)
bool bpf_program__autoload(const struct bpf_program *prog)
{
- return prog->autoload;
+ return prog->load_strategy == BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO;
}
int bpf_program__set_autoload(struct bpf_program *prog, bool autoload)
{
- if (prog->obj->state >= OBJ_LOADED)
- return libbpf_err(-EINVAL);
-
- prog->autoload = autoload;
- return 0;
+ return bpf_program__set_load_strategy(prog,
+ autoload ? BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO : BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED);
}
bool bpf_program__autoattach(const struct bpf_program *prog)
@@ -15194,7 +15192,7 @@ int bpf_object__attach_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s)
struct bpf_program *prog = *prog_skel->prog;
struct bpf_link **link = prog_skel->link;
- if (!prog->autoload || !prog->autoattach)
+ if (prog->load_strategy != BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO || !prog->autoattach)
continue;
/* auto-attaching not supported for this program */
@@ -15304,3 +15302,17 @@ void bpf_object__destroy_skeleton(struct bpf_object_skeleton *s)
free(s->progs);
free(s);
}
+
+int bpf_program__set_load_strategy(struct bpf_program *prog, enum bpf_prog_load_strategy strategy)
+{
+ if (prog->obj->state >= OBJ_LOADED)
+ return libbpf_err(-EINVAL);
+
+ prog->load_strategy = strategy;
+ return 0;
+}
+
+enum bpf_prog_load_strategy bpf_program__load_strategy(const struct bpf_program *prog)
+{
+ return prog->load_strategy;
+}
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
index 026932f20962..a06259c4dacc 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.h
@@ -2103,6 +2103,39 @@ LIBBPF_API int libbpf_unregister_prog_handler(int handler_id);
*/
LIBBPF_API int bpf_program__clone(struct bpf_program *prog, const struct bpf_prog_load_opts *opts);
+/**
+ * The program load strategy:
+ *
+ * - BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED: the program is not loaded.
+ * - BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO: the program is autoloaded when the bpf_object is loaded.
+ */
+enum bpf_prog_load_strategy {
+ BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_DISABLED = 0,
+ BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO,
+};
+
+/**
+ * @brief **bpf_program__set_load_strategy()** sets the load strategy of a
+ * BPF program, controlling whether and when it gets loaded into the kernel.
+ *
+ * Can only be called before the enclosing bpf_object is loaded.
+ *
+ * @param prog BPF program to update
+ * @param strategy new load strategy for the program
+ * @return 0 on success; negative error code if the object was already loaded
+ */
+LIBBPF_API int bpf_program__set_load_strategy(struct bpf_program *prog,
+ enum bpf_prog_load_strategy strategy);
+
+/**
+ * @brief **bpf_program__load_strategy()** returns the current load strategy
+ * of a BPF program.
+ *
+ * @param prog BPF program to query
+ * @return current load strategy of the program
+ */
+LIBBPF_API enum bpf_prog_load_strategy bpf_program__load_strategy(const struct bpf_program *prog);
+
#ifdef __cplusplus
} /* extern "C" */
#endif
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
index 7a84dd00ce95..03c3d2bd15bf 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.map
@@ -463,6 +463,8 @@ LIBBPF_1.8.0 {
bpf_program__attach_tracing_multi;
bpf_program__clear_flags;
bpf_program__clone;
+ bpf_program__load_strategy;
+ bpf_program__set_load_strategy;
btf__find_by_name_kind_own;
btf__new_empty_opts;
} LIBBPF_1.7.0;
--
2.34.1
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-09-21 22:39 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 17+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-09-21 22:39 [PATCH bpf-next v4 0/7] libbpf: BPF program manual loading Andrey Grodzovsky
2026-09-21 22:39 ` Andrey Grodzovsky [this message]
2026-09-21 23:21 ` [PATCH bpf-next v4 1/7] libbpf: BPF program load strategy enum bot+bpf-ci
2026-09-21 22:39 ` [PATCH bpf-next v4 2/7] libbpf: BPF programs manual loading and attaching Andrey Grodzovsky
2026-09-21 23:03 ` sashiko-bot
2026-09-22 23:51 ` Andrey Grodzovsky
2026-09-21 22:39 ` [PATCH bpf-next v4 3/7] libbpf: Support declarative manual load via SEC("!...") prefix Andrey Grodzovsky
2026-09-21 23:12 ` sashiko-bot
2026-09-21 23:21 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-09-21 22:39 ` [PATCH bpf-next v4 4/7] libbpf: Reject gen_loader for objects with already-manual programs Andrey Grodzovsky
2026-09-21 22:39 ` [PATCH bpf-next v4 5/7] libbpf: Version bpf_program__set_autoattach() ABI change Andrey Grodzovsky
2026-09-21 23:31 ` sashiko-bot
2026-09-21 22:39 ` [PATCH bpf-next v4 6/7] selftests/bpf: Cover BPF program load strategy transitions Andrey Grodzovsky
2026-09-21 23:37 ` sashiko-bot
2026-09-21 22:39 ` [PATCH bpf-next v4 7/7] selftests/bpf: Cover BPF program manual loading Andrey Grodzovsky
2026-09-22 1:37 ` [PATCH bpf-next v4 0/7] libbpf: " Alexei Starovoitov
2026-09-22 14:34 ` Andrey Grodzovsky
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