Re: [PATCH] docs: proc: document ProtectionKey in smaps

Kevin Brodsky
2026-04-07T15:12:54Z

On 07/04/2026 16:42, Dave Hansen wrote:
> On 4/7/26 05:51, Kevin Brodsky wrote:
>> +If both the kernel and the system support protection keys (pkeys),
>> +"ProtectionKey" indicates the memory protection key associated with the
>> +virtual memory area.
> I think you're trying to get across the point here that the kernel needs
> to know about protection keys, have it enabled, and be running on a CPU
> with pkey support.

Indeed.

> To me "system" is a bit ambiguous here but _can_ refer to the whole
> hardware/software system as a whole. To avoid redundancy, I'd say either:
>
> If both the kernel and the processor support protection keys...
>
> or
>
> If the system supports protection keys...

I see your point. By "system" I essentially mean the hardware (the SoC).
In general I would tend to avoid "processor" because not all CPUs in a
system necessarily have the same features, and some features require
hardware support beyond the CPU itself. Terminology is hard...

Happy to replace "system" with "hardware" if that's clearer :)

> But I'm ok with what you have in any case. Folks will understand what
> you're saying:

Hopefully!

- Kevin

> Acked-by: Dave Hansen <dave.hansen@linux.intel.com>