Re: [PATCH v6 4/4] RISC-V: mm: Document mmap changes

Alexandre Ghiti
2023-07-20T06:59:36Z

On Fri, Jul 14, 2023 at 6:56 PM Charlie Jenkins <charlie@rivosinc.com> wrote:
>
> The behavior of mmap is modified with this patch series, so explain the
> changes to the mmap hint address behavior.
>
> Signed-off-by: Charlie Jenkins <charlie@rivosinc.com>
> ---
> Documentation/riscv/vm-layout.rst | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++++
> 1 file changed, 22 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/riscv/vm-layout.rst b/Documentation/riscv/vm-layout.rst
> index 5462c84f4723..892412b91300 100644
> --- a/Documentation/riscv/vm-layout.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/riscv/vm-layout.rst
> @@ -133,3 +133,25 @@ RISC-V Linux Kernel SV57
> ffffffff00000000 | -4 GB | ffffffff7fffffff | 2 GB | modules, BPF
> ffffffff80000000 | -2 GB | ffffffffffffffff | 2 GB | kernel
> __________________|____________|__________________|_________|____________________________________________________________
> +
> +
> +Userspace VAs
> +--------------------
> +To maintain compatibility with software that relies on the VA space with a
> +maximum of 48 bits the kernel will, by default, return virtual addresses to
> +userspace from a 48-bit range (sv48). This default behavior is achieved by
> +passing 0 into the hint address parameter of mmap. On CPUs with an address space
> +smaller than sv48, the CPU maximum supported address space will be the default.
> +
> +Software can "opt-in" to receiving VAs from another VA space by providing
> +a hint address to mmap. A call to mmap is guaranteed to return an address
> +that will not override the unset left-aligned bits in the hint address,
> +unless there is no space left in the address space. If there is no space
> +available in the requested address space, an address in the next smallest
> +available address space will be returned.
> +
> +For example, in order to obtain 48-bit VA space, a hint address greater than
> +:code:`1 << 38` must be provided.

Is this correct? Shouldn't the hint be strictly greater than the
address space it targets? In patch 1, you state that "A hint address
passed to mmap will cause the largest address space that fits entirely
into the hint to be used", it seems contradictory to me.

> Note that this is 38 due to sv39 userspace
> +ending at :code:`1 << 38` and the addresses beyond this are reserved for the
> +kernel. Similarly, to obtain 57-bit VA space addresses, a hint address greater
> +than or equal to :code:`1 << 47` must be provided.
> --
> 2.41.0