Re: [PATCH v3 3/3] kexec: Introduce parameters load_limit_reboot and load_limit_panic

[Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>]

On Wed, 21 Dec 2022 02:22:57 +0100
Ricardo Ribalda <ribalda@chromium.org> wrote:

> > > +     kexec_core.load_limit_reboot=
> > > +     kexec_core.load_limit_panic=
> > > +                     [KNL]
> > > +                     This parameter specifies a limit to the number of times
> > > +                     a kexec kernel can be loaded.
> > > +                     Format: <int>
> > > +                     -1  = Unlimited.
> > > +                     int = Number of times kexec can be called.
> > > +
> > > +                     During runtime, this parameter can be modified with a  
> >  
> > > +                     value smaller than the current one (but not -1).  
> >
> > Perhaps state:
> >                         smaller positive value than the current one or if
> >                         current is currently -1.  
> 
> I find it a bit complicated..
> What about:
> 
>  During runtime this parameter can be modified with a more restrictive value

Sure. That's better than the original.


> > > +module_param_cb(load_limit_reboot, &load_limit_ops, &load_limit_reboot, 0644);
> > > +MODULE_PARM_DESC(load_limit_reboot, "Maximum attempts to load a kexec reboot kernel");
> > > +
> > > +module_param_cb(load_limit_panic, &load_limit_ops, &load_limit_panic, 0644);
> > > +MODULE_PARM_DESC(load_limit_reboot, "Maximum attempts to load a kexec panic kernel");  
> >
> > Wait, why the module params if this can not be a module?
> >
> > The kernel/kexec.c is decided via CONFIG_KEXEC_CORE which is bool. Either
> > builtin or not at all. No module selection possible.
> >
> > For kernel parameters, we should just use __setup(), right?  
> 
> Isn't __setup() only kernel parameter and then it cannot be updated on runtime?

Yes, but then we use sysctl.

> 
> What about using late_param_cb? and remove MODULE_PARAM_DESC ?
> 
> I think this is how these parameters work
> 
> $ ls /sys/module/kernel/parameters/
> consoleblank  crash_kexec_post_notifiers  ignore_rlimit_data
> initcall_debug  module_blacklist  panic  panic_on_warn  panic_print
> pause_on_oops

Well, I think those are more leftovers and not something we want to add to.

I believe sysctl is the better option, and a more common one:

$ ls /proc/sys/kernel/
acct                           perf_event_max_contexts_per_stack
acpi_video_flags               perf_event_max_sample_rate
auto_msgmni                    perf_event_max_stack
bootloader_type                perf_event_mlock_kb
bootloader_version             perf_event_paranoid
bpf_stats_enabled              pid_max
cad_pid                        poweroff_cmd
cap_last_cap                   print-fatal-signals
core_pattern                   printk
core_pipe_limit                printk_delay
core_uses_pid                  printk_devkmsg
ctrl-alt-del                   printk_ratelimit
dmesg_restrict                 printk_ratelimit_burst
domainname                     pty
firmware_config                random
ftrace_dump_on_oops            randomize_va_space
ftrace_enabled                 real-root-dev
hardlockup_all_cpu_backtrace   sched_autogroup_enabled
hardlockup_panic               sched_child_runs_first
hostname                       sched_deadline_period_max_us
hotplug                        sched_deadline_period_min_us
hung_task_all_cpu_backtrace    sched_energy_aware
hung_task_check_count          sched_rr_timeslice_ms
hung_task_check_interval_secs  sched_rt_period_us
hung_task_panic                sched_rt_runtime_us
hung_task_timeout_secs         sched_util_clamp_max
hung_task_warnings             sched_util_clamp_min
io_delay_type                  sched_util_clamp_min_rt_default
kexec_load_disabled            seccomp
keys                           sem
kptr_restrict                  sem_next_id
max_lock_depth                 shmall
max_rcu_stall_to_panic         shmmax
modprobe                       shmmni
modules_disabled               shm_next_id
msgmax                         shm_rmid_forced
msgmnb                         softlockup_all_cpu_backtrace
msgmni                         softlockup_panic
msg_next_id                    soft_watchdog
ngroups_max                    stack_tracer_enabled
nmi_watchdog                   sysctl_writes_strict
ns_last_pid                    sysrq
numa_balancing                 tainted
oops_all_cpu_backtrace         task_delayacct
osrelease                      threads-max
ostype                         timer_migration
overflowgid                    traceoff_on_warning
overflowuid                    tracepoint_printk
panic                          unknown_nmi_panic
panic_on_io_nmi                unprivileged_bpf_disabled
panic_on_oops                  usermodehelper
panic_on_rcu_stall             version
panic_on_unrecovered_nmi       watchdog
panic_on_warn                  watchdog_cpumask
panic_print                    watchdog_thresh
perf_cpu_time_max_percent      yama



> I could pass the flags and then check for flags & (KEXEC_ON_CRASH |
> KEXEC_FILE_ON_CRASH)... but not sure if it is better

It keeps the processing in a single place, which helps avoid bugs like this.

-- Steve