Re: [PATCH] x86/mm: Fix boot with some memory above MAXMEM

Dave Hansen
2020-05-26T14:27:23Z

On 5/25/20 8:08 AM, Kirill A. Shutemov wrote:
>>>> + if (not_addressable) {
>>>> + pr_err("%lldGB of physical memory is not addressable in the paging mode\n",
>>>> + not_addressable >> 30);
>>>> + if (!pgtable_l5_enabled())
>>>> + pr_err("Consider enabling 5-level paging\n");
>> Could this happen at all when l5 is enabled?
>> Does it mean we need kmap() for 64-bit?
> It's future-profing. Who knows what paging modes we would have in the
> future.

Future-proofing and firmware-proofing. :)

In any case, are we *really* limited to 52 bits of physical memory with
5-level paging? Previously, we said we were limited to 46 bits, and now
we're saying that the limit is 52 with 5-level paging:

#define MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS (pgtable_l5_enabled() ? 52 : 46)

The 46 was fine with the 48 bits of address space on 4-level paging
systems since we need 1/2 of the address space for userspace, 1/4 for
the direct map and 1/4 for the vmalloc-and-friends area. At 46 bits of
address space, we fill up the direct map.

The hardware designers know this and never enumerated a MAXPHYADDR from
CPUID which was higher than what we could cover with 46 bits. It was
nice and convenient that these two separate things matched:
1. The amount of physical address space addressable in a direct map
consuming 1/4 of the virtual address space.
2. The CPU-enumerated MAXPHYADDR which among other things dictates how
much physical address space is addressable in a PTE.

But, with 5-level paging, things are a little different. The limit in
addressable memory because of running out of the direct map actually
happens at 55 bits (57-2=55, analogous to the 4-level 48-2=46).

So shouldn't it technically be this:

#define MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS (pgtable_l5_enabled() ? 55 : 46)

?