From: Mateusz Guzik <mjguzik@gmail.com>
To: brauner@kernel.org, viro@zeniv.linux.org.uk
Cc: jack@suse.cz, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org, Mateusz Guzik <mjguzik@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH v5] fs: add predicts based on nd->depth
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:29:54 +0100 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20251119142954.2909394-1-mjguzik@gmail.com> (raw)
Stats from nd->depth usage during the venerable kernel build collected like so:
bpftrace -e 'kprobe:terminate_walk,kprobe:walk_component,kprobe:legitimize_links
{ @[probe] = lhist(((struct nameidata *)arg0)->depth, 0, 8, 1); }'
@[kprobe:legitimize_links]:
[0, 1) 6554906 |@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|
[1, 2) 3534 | |
@[kprobe:terminate_walk]:
[0, 1) 12153664 |@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|
@[kprobe:walk_component]:
[0, 1) 53075749 |@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|
[1, 2) 971421 | |
[2, 3) 84946 | |
Additionally a custom probe was added for depth within link_path_walk():
bpftrace -e 'kprobe:link_path_walk_probe { @[probe] = lhist(arg0, 0, 8, 1); }'
@[kprobe:link_path_walk_probe]:
[0, 1) 7528231 |@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|
[1, 2) 407905 |@@ |
Given these results:
1. terminate_walk() is called towards the end of the lookup and in this
test it never had any links to clean up.
2. legitimize_links() is also called towards the end of lookup and most
of the time there s 0 depth. Patch consumers to avoid calling into it
in that case.
3. walk_component() is typically called with WALK_MORE and zero depth,
checked in that order. Check depth first and predict it is 0.
4. link_path_walk() also does not deal with a symlink most of the time
when !*name
Signed-off-by: Mateusz Guzik <mjguzik@gmail.com>
---
v5:
- tweak the commit message + add link_path_walk probe stats, no code
changes
fs/namei.c | 13 +++++++------
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index 2a112b2c0951..11295fcf877c 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -785,7 +785,8 @@ static void leave_rcu(struct nameidata *nd)
static void terminate_walk(struct nameidata *nd)
{
- drop_links(nd);
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth))
+ drop_links(nd);
if (!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU)) {
int i;
path_put(&nd->path);
@@ -882,7 +883,7 @@ static bool try_to_unlazy(struct nameidata *nd)
BUG_ON(!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU));
- if (unlikely(!legitimize_links(nd)))
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth && !legitimize_links(nd)))
goto out1;
if (unlikely(!legitimize_path(nd, &nd->path, nd->seq)))
goto out;
@@ -917,7 +918,7 @@ static bool try_to_unlazy_next(struct nameidata *nd, struct dentry *dentry)
int res;
BUG_ON(!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU));
- if (unlikely(!legitimize_links(nd)))
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth && !legitimize_links(nd)))
goto out2;
res = __legitimize_mnt(nd->path.mnt, nd->m_seq);
if (unlikely(res)) {
@@ -2179,7 +2180,7 @@ static const char *walk_component(struct nameidata *nd, int flags)
* parent relationships.
*/
if (unlikely(nd->last_type != LAST_NORM)) {
- if (!(flags & WALK_MORE) && nd->depth)
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth) && !(flags & WALK_MORE))
put_link(nd);
return handle_dots(nd, nd->last_type);
}
@@ -2191,7 +2192,7 @@ static const char *walk_component(struct nameidata *nd, int flags)
if (IS_ERR(dentry))
return ERR_CAST(dentry);
}
- if (!(flags & WALK_MORE) && nd->depth)
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth) && !(flags & WALK_MORE))
put_link(nd);
return step_into(nd, flags, dentry);
}
@@ -2544,7 +2545,7 @@ static int link_path_walk(const char *name, struct nameidata *nd)
if (unlikely(!*name)) {
OK:
/* pathname or trailing symlink, done */
- if (!depth) {
+ if (likely(!depth)) {
nd->dir_vfsuid = i_uid_into_vfsuid(idmap, nd->inode);
nd->dir_mode = nd->inode->i_mode;
nd->flags &= ~LOOKUP_PARENT;
--
2.48.1
next reply other threads:[~2025-11-19 14:30 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 5+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2025-11-19 14:29 Mateusz Guzik [this message]
2025-11-25 9:04 ` [PATCH v5] fs: add predicts based on nd->depth Christian Brauner
2025-12-12 1:22 ` Chris Mason
2025-12-12 11:55 ` Mateusz Guzik
2025-12-12 20:57 ` Chris Mason
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