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From: Yeoreum Yun <yeoreum.yun@arm.com>
To: Russell King <linux@armlinux.org.uk>,
	 Huacai Chen <chenhuacai@kernel.org>,
	WANG Xuerui <kernel@xen0n.name>,
	 Thomas Bogendoerfer <tsbogend@alpha.franken.de>,
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	Johannes Weiner <hannes@cmpxchg.org>,
	 David Hildenbrand <david@kernel.org>,
	Michal Hocko <mhocko@kernel.org>,
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	Tianrui Zhao <zhaotianrui@loongson.cn>,
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Cc: linux-arm-kernel@lists.infradead.org,
	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,  loongarch@lists.linux.dev,
	linux-mips@vger.kernel.org,  linux-arch@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-mm@kvack.org, kvm@vger.kernel.org,
	 kvm-riscv@lists.infradead.org, linux-riscv@lists.infradead.org,
	 linux-openrisc@vger.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH RFC v3 17/21] mm/pgtable: optimize pmdp_get() and friends for folded pagetable levels
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:56:19 +0100	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260902-dummy_ptxp3-v3-17-5d8f5b17c25c@arm.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260902-dummy_ptxp3-v3-0-5d8f5b17c25c@arm.com>

From: "David Hildenbrand (Arm)" <david@kernel.org>

Using pmdp_get() and friends in common code on a kernel config with
folded page tables is suboptimal: they default to a READ_ONCE(), forcing
the compiler to actually read that value even though it will not actually
be used afterwards.

This was recently reported by Christophe Leroy [1] and block conversion
of more common code to pmdp_get() and friends.

(using pgdp_get() as one example)

Most of the code ignores the result from pgdp_get() on configs with
folded page tables entirely, as it's hardcoded:

        pgd_present()==1 && pgd_leaf()==false

Common code will just treat it as a "this is a page table" and call
p4d_offset() or p4d_offset_lockless() for the next lower level, where
the obtained pgdp_get() result is ignored entirely.

So, return a dummy value and avoid any memory reads.

There is a catch, though:

1) If code calls pgd_val() and somehow relies on the data, it would now
   see dummy values. The code really must be aware of folded page table
   levels. Fortunately, code usually ignores pgd_val() completely for
   page tables (with ptdump being one exception when calculating
   effective permissions). it's checked + fixed the x86 ptdump mechanism.

2) If code passes the pgd_t to a function that would work on the result,
   it would now see dummy values. The only concern is really passing
   the pgd_t on the stack as a pointer to p4d_offset(). Most code that
   would do that, should actually use p4d_offset_lockless(), which
   handles this properly. it's checked + fixed problematic instances.

3) Calling set_pgd() / pgd_page() / pgd_page_vaddr() with a pgd_t obtained through
   pgdp_get(). There was once such case in riscv code with set_pgd(), which
   is fixed.

As an example, this is the generated code for perf_get_page_size() with
PGTABLE_LEVELS=3 on arm64:

Before:
00000000000052a0 <perf_get_page_size>:
    ...
    52dc: d53b4234      mrs     x20, DAIF
    52e0: d50343df      msr     DAIFSet, #0x3
    ...
    52fc: d35e9a69      ubfx    x9, x19, #30, #9        /* pud_offset_lockless() */
    5300: f9403508      ldr     x8, [x8, #0x68]
    5304: f869790a      ldr     x10, [x8, x9, lsl #3]   /* pudp_get() */
    5308: f90007ea      str     x10, [sp, #0x8]
    530c: f8697908      ldr     x8, [x8, x9, lsl #3]    /* pudp_get() */
    ...
    5360: 90000009      adrp    x9, 0x5000 <perf_prepare_sample+0x548>
    5364: 92746908      and     x8, x8, #0x7ffffff000
    5368: d3557675      ubfx    x21, x19, #21, #9       /* pmd_offset_lockless() */
    ...
    5394: f8757ac8      ldr     x8, [x22, x21, lsl #3]  /* pmdp_get() */

After:
0000000000052a0 <perf_get_page_size>:
    ...
    52dc: d53b4234      mrs     x20, DAIF
    52e0: d50343df      msr     DAIFSet, #0x3
    ...                                                 /* no pud_offset_lockless() and pudp_get() */
    5318: 90000009      adrp    x9, 0x5000 <perf_prepare_sample+0x548>
    531c: 92746908      and     x8, x8, #0x7ffffff000
    5320: d3557675      ubfx    x21, x19, #21, #9       /* pmd_offset_lockless() */
    ...
    5334: f8757ac8      ldr     x8, [x22, x21, lsl #3]  /* pmdp_get() */

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/0019d675-ce3d-4a5c-89ed-f126c45145c9@kernel.org/

Signed-off-by: David Hildenbrand (Arm) <david@kernel.org>
---
 include/asm-generic/pgtable-nop4d.h | 8 ++++++++
 include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopmd.h | 8 ++++++++
 include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopud.h | 8 ++++++++
 3 files changed, 24 insertions(+)

diff --git a/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nop4d.h b/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nop4d.h
index 019c3f074b77..acd62ee23353 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nop4d.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nop4d.h
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ static inline bool pgd_leaf(pgd_t pgd)		{ return false; }
  */
 #define set_pgd(pgdptr, pgdval)	set_p4d((p4d_t *)(pgdptr), (p4d_t) { pgdval })
 
+static inline pgd_t pgdp_get(pgd_t *pgdp)
+{
+	pgd_t dummy = { 0 };
+
+	return dummy;
+}
+#define pgdp_get pgdp_get
+
 static inline p4d_t *p4d_offset(pgd_t *pgd, unsigned long address)
 {
 	return (p4d_t *)pgd;
diff --git a/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopmd.h b/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopmd.h
index 1dd5b165234b..9322f07ddf1e 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopmd.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopmd.h
@@ -43,6 +43,14 @@ static inline void pud_clear(pud_t *pud)	{ }
  */
 #define set_pud(pudptr, pudval)			set_pmd((pmd_t *)(pudptr), (pmd_t) { pudval })
 
+static inline pud_t pudp_get(pud_t *pudp)
+{
+	pud_t dummy = { 0 };
+
+	return dummy;
+}
+#define pudp_get pudp_get
+
 static inline pmd_t * pmd_offset(pud_t * pud, unsigned long address)
 {
 	return (pmd_t *)pud;
diff --git a/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopud.h b/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopud.h
index 5a2b0a81ae19..8f01abbb0050 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopud.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/pgtable-nopud.h
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ static inline bool p4d_leaf(p4d_t p4d)		{ return false; }
  */
 #define set_p4d(p4dptr, p4dval)	set_pud((pud_t *)(p4dptr), (pud_t) { p4dval })
 
+static inline p4d_t p4dp_get(p4d_t *p4dp)
+{
+	p4d_t dummy = { 0 };
+
+	return dummy;
+}
+#define p4dp_get p4dp_get
+
 static inline pud_t *pud_offset(p4d_t *p4d, unsigned long address)
 {
 	return (pud_t *)p4d;

-- 
2.43.0


  parent reply	other threads:[~2026-09-02 11:58 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 31+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-09-02 11:56 [PATCH RFC v3 00/21] mm: change behavior of pXdp_get()/pXd_page() in compile-time folded pgtable Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 01/21] ARM: mm: make nommu pgd_t a scalar Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 02/21] ARM: mm: make 2-level " Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 03/21] ARM: mm: remove custom pgdp_get() Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 04/21] LoongArch: mm: define pud_leaf() only when PUD exists Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 05/21] MIPS: " Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 06/21] mm/pgtable: define (pgd|p4d|pud)_leaf() for folded page tables Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 12:15   ` sashiko-bot
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 07/21] mm/pgtable: define (pgd|p4d|pud)_offset_lockless() " Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 08/21] mm: vmscan: remove stack copy address of pud/pmd pass in walk_pud/pmd_range() Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 09/21] loongarch: kvm: remove stack copy address of pXd in pXd_offset() Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 12:19   ` sashiko-bot
2026-09-02 12:38     ` Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 10/21] riscv: " Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 11/21] riscv: mm: use proper set_pXd() for generic compile-time folded patable in vmalloc_fault() Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 12/21] mm/pgtable: redefine PGTABLE_LEVEL enum with ascend order from PGD Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 13/21] x86: mm: use pgtable_level enum in effective_prot_pXd() Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 20:48   ` Dave Hansen
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 14/21] x86: mm: carve out the generic compile-time folded pgtable case in effective_prot() Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 20:46   ` Dave Hansen
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 15/21] x86: mm: skip collapse_pud_page() when CONFIG_X86_DIRECT_GBPAGES disabled Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 12:17   ` sashiko-bot
2026-09-02 12:29     ` Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 15:38   ` Dave Hansen
2026-09-02 16:48     ` Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 16/21] openrisc/pgtable: drop __pmd_offset() Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` Yeoreum Yun [this message]
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 18/21] mm/pgtable: catch abuse of folded dummy pgd_t/p4d_t/pud_t Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 19/21] mm/pgtable: disallow calling (pgd|p4d|pud)_page, pgd_page_vaddr() and (p4d|pud)_pgtable with dummy Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 20/21] mm/pgtable: disallow calling folded set_pgd/set_p4d/set_pud " Yeoreum Yun
2026-09-02 11:56 ` [PATCH RFC v3 21/21] Documentation: mm: clarify behaviour of compile-time folded page tables Yeoreum Yun

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