Re: [PATCH 0/3] use vm_flags_t consistently

Anshuman Khandual
2025-06-25T02:56:03Z

On 19/06/25 1:12 AM, Lorenzo Stoakes wrote:
> The VMA flags field vma->vm_flags is of type vm_flags_t. Right now this is
> exactly equivalent to unsigned long, but it should not be assumed to be.
>
> Much code that references vma->vm_flags already correctly uses vm_flags_t,
> but a fairly large chunk of code simply uses unsigned long and assumes that
> the two are equivalent.
>
> This series corrects that and has us use vm_flags_t consistently.
>
> This series is motivated by the desire to, in a future series, adjust
> vm_flags_t to be a u64 regardless of whether the kernel is 32-bit or 64-bit
> in order to deal with the VMA flag exhaustion issue and avoid all the
> various problems that arise from it (being unable to use certain features
> in 32-bit, being unable to add new flags except for 64-bit, etc.)
>
> This is therefore a critical first step towards that goal. At any rate,
> using the correct type is of value regardless.
>
> We additionally take the opportunity to refer to VMA flags as vm_flags
> where possible to make clear what we're referring to.
>
> Overall, this series does not introduce any functional change.
>
> Lorenzo Stoakes (3):
> mm: change vm_get_page_prot() to accept vm_flags_t argument
> mm: update core kernel code to use vm_flags_t consistently
> mm: update architecture and driver code to use vm_flags_t

Hello Lorenzo,

Just wondering which tree-branch this series applies ? Tried all the usual
ones but could not apply the series cleanly.

v6.16-rc3
next-20250624
mm-stable
mm-unstable

b4 am cover.1750274467.git.lorenzo.stoakes@oracle.com
git am ./20250618_lorenzo_stoakes_use_vm_flags_t_consistently.mbx

- Anshuman