From: Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>
To: linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Alexander Viro <viro@zeniv.linux.org.uk>, Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz>,
Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>,
Jens Axboe <axboe@kernel.dk>,
"Christian Brauner (Amutable)" <brauner@kernel.org>
Subject: [PATCH 15/17] eventpoll: rename epi->next and txlist for clarity
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:46:46 +0200 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260424-work-epoll-rework-v1-15-249ed00a20f3@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260424-work-epoll-rework-v1-0-249ed00a20f3@kernel.org>
Two list-related names were confusing in isolation:
struct epitem::next
A singly-linked link slot used only when an epi is queued on
ep->ovflist during an ep_start_scan/ep_done_scan window. The
bare name "next" suggests a generic list link and doesn't say
which list it belongs to.
txlist
The caller-local list_head used by ep_send_events() and
__ep_eventpoll_poll() to hold the batch of items stolen from
ep->rdllist for the current scan. "txlist" ("transmission
list") is abbreviated and overloaded: it doesn't distinguish
itself from ep->rdllist or ep->ovflist at a glance.
Rename for what each actually is:
struct epitem::next -> struct epitem::ovflist_next
local txlist -> scan_batch
With these in place:
- epi->ovflist_next reads as "this is the ep->ovflist link slot",
matching the rdllink pattern above it.
- scan_batch reads as "the batch currently being scanned", clearly
distinct from rdllist (canonical ready list) and ovflist
(scan-window overflow).
ep->rdllist and ep->ovflist struct field names are preserved -- they
are long-standing interface-facing identifiers, and the new inline
helpers (ep_is_scanning, epi_on_ovflist, ...) already hide the
sentinel semantics at call sites.
No functional change.
Signed-off-by: Christian Brauner (Amutable) <brauner@kernel.org>
---
fs/eventpoll.c | 62 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------
1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 30 deletions(-)
diff --git a/fs/eventpoll.c b/fs/eventpoll.c
index 4199ef8e42e5..7ed4b47279ff 100644
--- a/fs/eventpoll.c
+++ b/fs/eventpoll.c
@@ -142,15 +142,15 @@
* NULL - scan active, no spill yet.
* pointer to epi - scan active with spilled items (LIFO).
*
- * Encoded in epi->next:
+ * Encoded in epi->ovflist_next:
* EP_UNACTIVE_PTR - epi is not on ovflist.
* otherwise - next epi on ovflist (NULL at tail).
*
* ep_start_scan() flips "not scanning" to "scanning" and splices
- * rdllist into a caller-local txlist. ep_done_scan() drains ovflist
+ * rdllist into a caller-local scan_batch. ep_done_scan() drains ovflist
* back to rdllist (list_add head-insert reverses LIFO to FIFO),
* flips back to "not scanning", and re-splices any items the caller
- * left in txlist (e.g., level-triggered re-queues).
+ * left in scan_batch (e.g., level-triggered re-queues).
*
*
* Removal paths
@@ -261,14 +261,16 @@ struct epitem {
struct rcu_head rcu;
};
- /* List header used to link this structure to the eventpoll ready list */
+ /* Link on the owning eventpoll's ready list (ep->rdllist). */
struct list_head rdllink;
/*
- * Works together "struct eventpoll"->ovflist in keeping the
- * single linked chain of items.
+ * Link on the owning eventpoll's scan-overflow list (ep->ovflist),
+ * EP_UNACTIVE_PTR when not linked. See epi_on_ovflist() /
+ * epi_clear_ovflist() and the "Ready-list state machine" section
+ * in the top-of-file banner.
*/
- struct epitem *next;
+ struct epitem *ovflist_next;
/* The file descriptor information this item refers to */
struct epoll_filefd ffd;
@@ -569,13 +571,13 @@ static inline void ep_exit_scan(struct eventpoll *ep)
/* True iff @epi is currently linked on its ep's ovflist. */
static inline bool epi_on_ovflist(const struct epitem *epi)
{
- return epi->next != EP_UNACTIVE_PTR;
+ return epi->ovflist_next != EP_UNACTIVE_PTR;
}
/* Mark @epi as not on any ovflist (init and post-drain). */
static inline void epi_clear_ovflist(struct epitem *epi)
{
- epi->next = EP_UNACTIVE_PTR;
+ epi->ovflist_next = EP_UNACTIVE_PTR;
}
/**
@@ -933,7 +935,7 @@ static inline void ep_pm_stay_awake_rcu(struct epitem *epi)
* ep->mutex needs to be held because we could be hit by
* eventpoll_release_file() and epoll_ctl().
*/
-static void ep_start_scan(struct eventpoll *ep, struct list_head *txlist)
+static void ep_start_scan(struct eventpoll *ep, struct list_head *scan_batch)
{
/*
* Steal the ready list, and re-init the original one to the
@@ -945,13 +947,13 @@ static void ep_start_scan(struct eventpoll *ep, struct list_head *txlist)
*/
lockdep_assert_irqs_enabled();
spin_lock_irq(&ep->lock);
- list_splice_init(&ep->rdllist, txlist);
+ list_splice_init(&ep->rdllist, scan_batch);
ep_enter_scan(ep);
spin_unlock_irq(&ep->lock);
}
static void ep_done_scan(struct eventpoll *ep,
- struct list_head *txlist)
+ struct list_head *scan_batch)
{
struct epitem *epi, *nepi;
@@ -962,10 +964,10 @@ static void ep_done_scan(struct eventpoll *ep,
* We re-insert them inside the main ready-list here.
*/
for (nepi = READ_ONCE(ep->ovflist); (epi = nepi) != NULL; ) {
- nepi = epi->next;
+ nepi = epi->ovflist_next;
epi_clear_ovflist(epi);
/*
- * Skip items that the caller already returned via @txlist
+ * Skip items that the caller already returned via @scan_batch
* -- the list_splice() below takes care of those.
*/
if (!ep_is_linked(epi)) {
@@ -981,9 +983,9 @@ static void ep_done_scan(struct eventpoll *ep,
ep_exit_scan(ep);
/*
- * Quickly re-inject items left on "txlist".
+ * Quickly re-inject items left on "scan_batch".
*/
- list_splice(txlist, &ep->rdllist);
+ list_splice(scan_batch, &ep->rdllist);
__pm_relax(ep->ws);
if (!list_empty(&ep->rdllist)) {
@@ -1247,7 +1249,7 @@ static __poll_t ep_item_poll(const struct epitem *epi, poll_table *pt, int depth
static __poll_t __ep_eventpoll_poll(struct file *file, poll_table *wait, int depth)
{
struct eventpoll *ep = file->private_data;
- LIST_HEAD(txlist);
+ LIST_HEAD(scan_batch);
struct epitem *epi, *tmp;
poll_table pt;
__poll_t res = 0;
@@ -1262,8 +1264,8 @@ static __poll_t __ep_eventpoll_poll(struct file *file, poll_table *wait, int dep
* the ready list.
*/
mutex_lock_nested(&ep->mtx, depth);
- ep_start_scan(ep, &txlist);
- list_for_each_entry_safe(epi, tmp, &txlist, rdllink) {
+ ep_start_scan(ep, &scan_batch);
+ list_for_each_entry_safe(epi, tmp, &scan_batch, rdllink) {
if (ep_item_poll(epi, &pt, depth + 1)) {
res = EPOLLIN | EPOLLRDNORM;
break;
@@ -1277,7 +1279,7 @@ static __poll_t __ep_eventpoll_poll(struct file *file, poll_table *wait, int dep
list_del_init(&epi->rdllink);
}
}
- ep_done_scan(ep, &txlist);
+ ep_done_scan(ep, &scan_batch);
mutex_unlock(&ep->mtx);
return res;
}
@@ -1489,7 +1491,7 @@ static int ep_poll_callback(wait_queue_entry_t *wait, unsigned mode, int sync, v
*/
if (ep_is_scanning(ep)) {
if (!epi_on_ovflist(epi)) {
- epi->next = READ_ONCE(ep->ovflist);
+ epi->ovflist_next = READ_ONCE(ep->ovflist);
WRITE_ONCE(ep->ovflist, epi);
ep_pm_stay_awake_rcu(epi);
}
@@ -2017,7 +2019,7 @@ static int ep_modify(struct eventpoll *ep, struct epitem *epi,
* next slot), 0 if the re-poll reported no caller-requested events
* (@epi drops out of the ready list; a future callback will re-add
* it), or -EFAULT if copy_to_user() faulted (in which case @epi is
- * re-inserted at the head of @txlist so ep_done_scan() merges it
+ * re-inserted at the head of @scan_batch so ep_done_scan() merges it
* back to rdllist for the next attempt).
*
* PM bookkeeping and level-triggered re-queue are handled here.
@@ -2026,7 +2028,7 @@ static int ep_modify(struct eventpoll *ep, struct epitem *epi,
static int ep_deliver_event(struct eventpoll *ep, struct epitem *epi,
poll_table *pt,
struct epoll_event __user **uevents,
- struct list_head *txlist)
+ struct list_head *scan_batch)
{
struct epoll_event __user *next;
struct wakeup_source *ws;
@@ -2064,7 +2066,7 @@ static int ep_deliver_event(struct eventpoll *ep, struct epitem *epi,
* ep_done_scan() splices it onto rdllist for the next
* attempt.
*/
- list_add(&epi->rdllink, txlist);
+ list_add(&epi->rdllink, scan_batch);
ep_pm_stay_awake(epi);
return -EFAULT;
}
@@ -2090,7 +2092,7 @@ static int ep_send_events(struct eventpoll *ep,
struct epoll_event __user *events, int maxevents)
{
struct epitem *epi, *tmp;
- LIST_HEAD(txlist);
+ LIST_HEAD(scan_batch);
poll_table pt;
int res = 0;
@@ -2105,19 +2107,19 @@ static int ep_send_events(struct eventpoll *ep,
init_poll_funcptr(&pt, NULL);
mutex_lock(&ep->mtx);
- ep_start_scan(ep, &txlist);
+ ep_start_scan(ep, &scan_batch);
/*
* We can loop without lock because we are passed a task-private
- * txlist; items cannot vanish while we hold ep->mtx.
+ * scan_batch; items cannot vanish while we hold ep->mtx.
*/
- list_for_each_entry_safe(epi, tmp, &txlist, rdllink) {
+ list_for_each_entry_safe(epi, tmp, &scan_batch, rdllink) {
int delivered;
if (res >= maxevents)
break;
- delivered = ep_deliver_event(ep, epi, &pt, &events, &txlist);
+ delivered = ep_deliver_event(ep, epi, &pt, &events, &scan_batch);
if (delivered < 0) {
if (!res)
res = delivered;
@@ -2126,7 +2128,7 @@ static int ep_send_events(struct eventpoll *ep,
res += delivered;
}
- ep_done_scan(ep, &txlist);
+ ep_done_scan(ep, &scan_batch);
mutex_unlock(&ep->mtx);
return res;
--
2.47.3
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-04-24 13:47 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 20+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-04-24 13:46 [PATCH 00/17] eventpoll: clarity refactor Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 01/17] eventpoll: expand top-of-file overview / locking doc Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 02/17] eventpoll: document loop-check / path-check globals Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 03/17] eventpoll: clarify POLLFREE handshake comments Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 04/17] eventpoll: refresh epi_fget() / ep_remove_file() comments Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 05/17] eventpoll: document ep_clear_and_put() two-pass pattern Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 06/17] eventpoll: rename ep_refcount_dec_and_test() to ep_put() Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 07/17] eventpoll: drop unused depth argument from epoll_mutex_lock() Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 08/17] eventpoll: rename attach_epitem() to ep_attach_file() Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 09/17] eventpoll: relocate KCMP helpers near compat syscalls Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 10/17] eventpoll: split ep_insert() into alloc + register stages Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 11/17] eventpoll: split ep_clear_and_put() into drain helpers Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 12/17] eventpoll: extract ep_deliver_event() from ep_send_events() Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 13/17] eventpoll: extract lock dance from do_epoll_ctl() into ep_ctl_lock() Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 14/17] eventpoll: wrap EP_UNACTIVE_PTR in typed sentinel helpers Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` Christian Brauner [this message]
2026-04-24 16:06 ` [PATCH 15/17] eventpoll: rename epi->next and txlist for clarity Linus Torvalds
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 16/17] eventpoll: use bool for predicate helpers Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 13:46 ` [PATCH 17/17] eventpoll: hoist CTL_ADD scratch state into struct ep_ctl_ctx Christian Brauner
2026-04-24 15:33 ` [PATCH 00/17] eventpoll: clarity refactor Linus Torvalds
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