Re: [PATCH 0/2] introduce pagetable_alloc_nolock()

Yang Shi
2025-12-23T22:59:20Z

On 12/17/25 9:04 PM, Ryan Roberts wrote:
> On 17/12/2025 10:48, Yeoreum Yun wrote:
>> Hi Ryan,
>>
>>> On 16/12/2025 16:52, Yeoreum Yun wrote:
>>>> Hi Ryan,
>>>>
>>>>> On 12/12/2025 16:18, Yeoreum Yun wrote:
>>>>>> Some architectures invoke pagetable_alloc() or __get_free_pages()
>>>>>> with preemption disabled.
>>>>>> For example, in arm64, linear_map_split_to_ptes() calls pagetable_alloc()
>>>>>> while spliting block entry to ptes and __kpti_install_ng_mappings()
>>>>>> calls __get_free_pages() to create kpti pagetable.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Under PREEMPT_RT, calling pagetable_alloc() with
>>>>>> preemption disabled is not allowed, because it may acquire
>>>>>> a spin lock that becomes sleepable on RT, potentially
>>>>>> causing a sleep during page allocation.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Since above two functions is called as callback of stop_machine()
>>>>>> where its callback is called in preemption disabled,
>>>>>> They could make a potential problem. (sleeping in preemption disabled).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To address this, introduce pagetable_alloc_nolock() API.
>>>>> I don't really understand what the problem is that you're trying to fix. As I
>>>>> see it, there are 2 call sites in arm64 arch code that are calling into the page
>>>>> allocator from stop_machine() - one via via pagetable_alloc() and another via
>>>>> __get_free_pages(). But both of those calls are passing in GFP_ATOMIC. It was my
>>>>> understanding that the page allocator would ensure it never sleeps when
>>>>> GFP_ATOMIC is passed in, (even for PREEMPT_RT)?
>>>> Although GFP_ATOMIC is specify, it only affects of "water mark" of the
>>>> page with __GFP_HIGH. and to get a page, it must grab the lock --
>>>> zone->lock or pcp_lock in the rmqueue().
>>>>
>>>> This zone->lock and pcp_lock is spin_lock and it's a sleepable in
>>>> PREEMPT_RT that's why the memory allocation/free using general API
>>>> except nolock() version couldn't be called since
>>>> if "contention" happens they'll sleep while waiting to get the lock.
>>>>
>>>> The reason why "nolock()" can use, it always uses "trylock" with
>>>> ALLOC_TRYLOCK flags. otherwise GFP_ATOMIC also can be sleepable in
>>>> PREEMPT_RT.
>>>>
>>>>> What is the actual symptom you are seeing?
>>>> Since the place where called while smp_cpus_done() and there seems no
>>>> contention, there seems no problem. However as I mention in another
>>>> thread
>>>> (https://lore.kernel.org/all/aT%2FdrjN1BkvyAGoi@e129823.arm.com/),
>>>> This gives a the false impression --
>>>> GFP_ATOMIC are “safe to use in preemption disabled”
>>>> even though they are not in PREEMPT_RT case, I've changed it.
>>>>
>>>>> If the page allocator is somehow ignoring the GFP_ATOMIC request for PREEMPT_RT,
>>>>> then isn't that a bug in the page allocator? I'm not sure why you would change
>>>>> the callsites? Can't you just change the page allocator based on GFP_ATOMIC?
>>>> It doesn't ignore the GFP_ATOMIC feature:
>>>> - __GFP_HIGH: use water mark till min reserved
>>>> - __GFP_KSWAPD_RECLAIM: wake up kswapd if reclaim required.
>>>>
>>>> But, it's a restriction -- "page allocation / free" API cannot be called
>>>> in preempt-disabled context at PREEMPT_RT.
>>>>
>>>> That's why I think it's wrong usage not a page allocator bug.
>>> I've taken a look at this and I agree with your analysis. Thanks for explaining.
>>>
>>> Looking at other stop_machine() callbacks, there are some that call printk() and
>>> I would assume that spinlocks could be taken there which may present the same
>>> kind of issue or PREEMPT_RT? (I'm guessing). I don't see any others that attempt
>>> to allocate memory though.
>> IIRC, there was a problem related for printk while try to grab
>> pl011_console related lock (spin_lock) while holding
>> console_lock(raw_spin_lock) in v6.10.0-rc7 at rpi5:
>>
>> [ 230.381263] CPU: 2 PID: 5574 Comm: syz.4.1695 Not tainted 6.10.0-rc7-01903-g52828ea60dfd #3
>> [ 230.381479] Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT)
>> [ 230.381565] Call trace:
>> [ 230.381607] dump_backtrace+0x318/0x348
>> [ 230.381727] show_stack+0x4c/0x80
>> [ 230.381875] dump_stack_lvl+0x214/0x328
>> [ 230.382159] dump_stack+0x3c/0x58
>> [ 230.382456] __lock_acquire+0x4398/0x4720
>> [ 230.382683] lock_acquire+0x648/0xb70
>> [ 230.382928] _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x138/0x240
>> [ 230.383121] pl011_console_write+0x240/0x8a0
>> [ 230.383356] console_flush_all+0x708/0x1368
>> [ 230.383571] console_unlock+0x180/0x440
>> [ 230.383742] vprintk_emit+0x1f8/0x9d0
>> [ 230.383832] vprintk_default+0x64/0x90
>> [ 230.383914] vprintk+0x2d0/0x400
>> [ 230.383971] _printk+0xdc/0x128
>> [ 230.384229] hrtimer_interrupt+0x8f0/0x920
>> [ 230.384414] arch_timer_handler_virt+0xc0/0x100
>> [ 230.384812] handle_percpu_devid_irq+0x20c/0x4e0
>> [ 230.385053] generic_handle_domain_irq+0xc0/0x120
>> [ 230.385367] gic_handle_irq+0x88/0x360
>> [ 230.385559] call_on_irq_stack+0x24/0x70
>> [ 230.385801] do_interrupt_handler+0xf8/0x200
>> [ 230.386092] el1_interrupt+0x68/0xc0
>> [ 230.386434] el1h_64_irq_handler+0x18/0x28
>> [ 230.386716] el1h_64_irq+0x64/0x68
>> [ 230.386853] __sanitizer_cov_trace_const_cmp2+0x30/0x68
>> [ 230.387026] alloc_pages_mpol_noprof+0x170/0x698
>> [ 230.387309] vma_alloc_folio_noprof+0x128/0x2a8
>> [ 230.387610] vma_alloc_zeroed_movable_folio+0xa0/0xe0
>> [ 230.387822] folio_prealloc+0x5c/0x280
>> [ 230.388008] do_wp_page+0xc30/0x3bc0
>> [ 230.388206] __handle_mm_fault+0xdb8/0x2ba0
>> [ 230.388448] handle_mm_fault+0x194/0x8a8
>> [ 230.388676] do_page_fault+0x6bc/0x1030
>> [ 230.388924] do_mem_abort+0x8c/0x240
>> [ 230.389056] el0_da+0xf0/0x3f8
>> [ 230.389178] el0t_64_sync_handler+0xb4/0x130
>> [ 230.389452] el0t_64_sync+0x190/0x198
>>
>> But this problem is gone when I try with some of patches in rt-tree
>> related for printk which are merged in current tree
>> (https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/rt/linux-rt-devel.git/log/?h=linux-6.10.y-rt-rebase).
>>
>> So I think printk() wouldn't be a problem.
>>
>>> Anyway, to fix the 2 arm64 callsites, I see 2 possible approaches:
>>>
>>> - Call the nolock variant (as you are doing). But that would just convert a
>>> deadlock to a panic; if the lock is held when stop_machine() runs, without your
>>> change, we now have a deadlock due to waiting on the lock inside stop_machine().
>>> With your change, we notice the lock is already taken and panic. I guess it is
>>> marginally better, but not by much. Certainly I would just _always_ call the
>>> nolock variant regardless of PREEMPT_RT if we take this route; For !PREEMPT_RT,
>>> the lock is guarranteed to be free so nolock will always succeed.
>>>
>>> - Preallocate the memory before entering stop_machine(). I think this would be
>>> much more robust. For kpti_install_ng_mappings() I think you could hoist the
>>> allocation/free out of stop_machine() and pass the pointer in pretty easily. For
>>> linear_map_split_to_ptes() its a bit more complex; Perhaps, we need to walk the
>>> pgtable to figure out how much to preallocate, allocate it, then set it up as a
>>> special allocator, wrapped by an allocation function and modify the callchain to
>>> take a callback function instead of gfp flags.
>>>
>>> What do you think?
>> Definitely, second suggestoin is much better.
>> My question is whether *memory contention* really happen in the point
>> both functions are called.
> My guess would be that it's unlikely, but not impossible. The secondary CPUs are
> up, and presumably running their idle thread. I think various power management
> things can be plugged into the idle thread; if so, then I guess it's possible
> that the CPU could be running some hook as part of a power state transition, and
> that could be dynamically allocating memory? That's all just a guess though; I
> don't know the details of that part of the system.

Sorry for chiming in late. I was just done my travel, but still suffered
from jet lag. I may be out of my mind...

I agree the sleeping lock is a problem for -rt kernel. But it is hard
for me to understand how come the lock contention could happen. When the
boot CPU is repainting the linear map, the secondary CPUs are running in
a busy loop to wait for idmap_kpti_bbml2_flag is cleared by the boot CPU
instead of idle thread. And the secondary CPUs running with idmap active
and init_mm inactive. So the nolock variant seems good enough to me if I
don't miss anything.

Thanks,
Yang

>
>> Above two functions are called as last step of "smp_init()" -- smp_cpus_done().
>> If we can be sure, I think we don't need to go to complex way and
>> I believe the reason why we couldn't find out this problem,
>> even using GFP_ATOMIC in PREEMPT_RT since there was *no contection*
>> in this time of both functions are called.
>>> That's why I first try with the "simple way".
>> What do you think?
> As far as linear_map_split_to_ptes() is concerned, it was implemented under the
> impression that doing allocation with GFP_ATOMIC was safe, even in
> stop_machine(). Given that's an incorrect assumption, I think we should fix it
> to pre-allocate outside of stop_machine() regardless of the likelihood of
> actually hitting the race.
>
> Thanks,
> Ryan
>
>> --
>> Sincerely,
>> Yeoreum Yun