Re: [PATCH 1/1] ubifs: ubifs to export filesystem error counters

[Richard Weinberger <richard@nod.at>]

Stefan,

----- Ursprüngliche Mail -----
> Von: "schaecsn" <schaecsn@gmx.net>
> An: "richard" <richard@nod.at>
> CC: "linux-mtd" <linux-mtd@lists.infradead.org>, "linux-kernel" <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>, "Stefan Schaeckeler"
> <sschaeck@cisco.com>
> Gesendet: Montag, 4. Oktober 2021 07:57:58
> Betreff: Re: [PATCH 1/1] ubifs: ubifs to export filesystem error counters

> Hello Richard,
> 
>> > Not all ubifs filesystem errors are propagated to userspace.
>> >
>> > Export bad magic, bad node and crc errors via sysfs. This allows userspace
>> > to notice filesystem errors:
>> >
>> > /sys/fs/ubifs/ubiX_Y/errors_magic
>> > /sys/fs/ubifs/ubiX_Y/errors_node
>> > /sys/fs/ubifs/ubiX_Y/errors_crc
>> >
>> > The counters are reset to 0 with a remount. Writing anything into the
>> > counters also clears them.
>>
>> I think this is a nice feature. Thanks for implementing it.
>> Please see some minor nits below.
>>
>> Is there a specific reason why you didn't implement it via UBIFS's debugfs
>> interface?
> 
> These error counters are not meant for aiding debugging but for userspace to
> monitor the sanity of the filesystem. Also ext4 exports error counters via
> sysfs - it's probably a good idea to be consistent with them.
> 
> $ dir /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/*error*
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/errors_count
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/first_error_block
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/first_error_errcode
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/first_error_func
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/first_error_ino
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/first_error_line
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/first_error_time
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/last_error_block
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/last_error_errcode
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/last_error_func
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:47 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/last_error_ino
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/last_error_line
> -r--r--r-- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/last_error_time
> --w------- 1 root root 4096 Oct  3 13:46 /sys/fs/ext4/sdb2/trigger_fs_error

ext4 is not the reference design for filesystems in Linux.
e.g. btrfs has an ioctl for such stats.

> 
>> sysfs is ABI, so we cannot change much anymore.
> 
> Judging by the filesystem permissions above, ext4 does not seem to allow
> resetting error counters. If you worry about unchangable ABIs then we could
> play it safe and don't support write callbacks for resetting the error counters
> in an initial version of the ubifs sysfs. What do you think?

Ack.

> When we are at it, in the current code, writing anything into a sysfs node
> resets the corresponding counter. One could fine-tune that to set the counter
> to whatever non-negative integer is passed.
> 
> 
>> > +		if (c->stats)
>> > +			c->stats->magic_errors++;
>>
>> Please wrap this into a helper function.
> 
> Ack.
> 
> 
>> > +		if (c->stats)
>> > +			c->stats->node_errors++;
>>
>> Same.
> 
> Ack.
> 
> 
>> > +		if (c->stats)
>> > +			c->stats->crc_errors++;
>>
>> Same.
> 
> Ack.
> 
> 
>> > +#define UBIFS_ATTR_FUNC(_name, _mode) UBIFS_ATTR(_name, _mode, _name)
>> > +
>> > +UBIFS_ATTR_FUNC(errors_magic, 0644);
>> > +UBIFS_ATTR_FUNC(errors_crc, 0644);
>> > +UBIFS_ATTR_FUNC(errors_node, 0644);
>>
>> I'm not sure whether everyone should be allowed to read these stats.
>> dmesg is also restricted these days. An unprivileged user should not see the
>> errors he can indirectly trigger.
> 
> I don't mind 600, but having error counters world-readable is consistent with
> ext4 (see dir above) and so I suggest to keep 644.
> 

Ok.
 
>> > +	case attr_errors_crc:
>> > +		return snprintf(buf, PAGE_SIZE, "%u\n",
>> > +				sbi->stats->crc_errors);
>>
>> Please use sysfs_emit().
> 
> Ack.
> 
> 
>> > +	if (n == UBIFS_DFS_DIR_LEN) {
>> > +		/* The array size is too small */
>> > +		ret = -EINVAL;
>> > +		goto out_last;
>>
>> Where is c->stats released in case of an error?
> 
> My fault. Will be fixed.
> 
> 
>> > diff --git a/fs/ubifs/sysfs.h b/fs/ubifs/sysfs.h
>> > new file mode 100644
>> > index 000000000000..a10a82585af8
>> > --- /dev/null
>> > +++ b/fs/ubifs/sysfs.h
>>
>> Do we really need a new header file?
>> Usually most run-time stuff of UBIFS is part of ubifs.h.
> 
> I wanted to be consistent with debugfs where fs/ubifs/debug.c comes with its
> own header fs/ubifs/debug.h.

debug.h is not just about debugfs. It is about debugging/developing UBIFS.
That's why it is kind of special.

> 
> I'll send out a new patch once we agree on all changes. To recap:
> 
> - write callbacks: do we remove them? If not, do we keep them as is or do we
>  fine-tine them by letting a non-negative integer set the counter?

I'd go for read-only first.

> - 644 (world-readable) counters to be consistent with ext4?

Ack.

> - keep sysfs.h to be consistent with debugfs?

Please remove sysfs.h.

Thanks,
//richard

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