Re: [PATCH v2 2/4] x86/tdx: Use PFN directly for unmapping guest private memory

Dave Hansen
2026-04-30T19:37:49Z

On 4/30/26 12:20, Sean Christopherson wrote:
>> Yea, this is used to construct u64 inputs for seamcall args. So I think it
>> should keep returning u64s.
> +1. IMO, we should treat the TDX-Module as an extension of hardware and pass in
> u64s where the spec says it takes a 64-bit value.

+2

In this very specific case 'phys_addr_t' is 100% the *WRONG* type for
mk_keyed_paddr(). Why? Because the thing being returned is *NOT* *A*
*PHYSICAL* *ADDRESS*. It's a composite type that contains a special
physical address plus some metadata in a special "hardware" format. It's
as much of a 'phys_addr_t' as a PTE is a 'phys_addr_t'. Yeah, they
contain and are constructed partly from physical addresses, but they are
not physical addresses themselves.

At the same time, if the kernel has a type-safe way of representing
something that's also a 64-bit value, we should use it. Just because the
TDX spec takes a 64-bit virtual address doesn't mean we should use a u64
and not a "struct foo *".

Let's please just not go back to a sea of u64's everywhere. Use common
sense. Use the kernel's type system where appropriate, but don't
over-apply it.

IOW, I agree with Sean. But please don't take Sean's advise too far here.