Re: [PATCH RESEND v3 01/10] mm/vma: rename VMA_LOCK_OFFSET to VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG

Suren Baghdasaryan
2026-01-22T16:38:07Z

On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 5:02 AM Lorenzo Stoakes
<lorenzo.stoakes@oracle.com> wrote:
>
> The VMA_LOCK_OFFSET value encodes a flag which vma->vm_refcnt is set to in
> order to indicate that a VMA is in the process of having VMA read-locks
> excluded in __vma_enter_locked() (that is, first checking if there are any
> VMA read locks held, and if there are, waiting on them to be released).
>
> This happens when a VMA write lock is being established, or a VMA is being
> marked detached and discovers that the VMA reference count is elevated due
> to read-locks temporarily elevating the reference count only to discover a
> VMA write lock is in place.
>
> The naming does not convey any of this, so rename VMA_LOCK_OFFSET to
> VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG (with a sensible new prefix to differentiate
> from the newly introduced VMA_*_BIT flags).
>
> Also rename VMA_REF_LIMIT to VM_REFCNT_LIMIT to make this consistent also.
>
> Update comments to reflect this.
>
> No functional change intended.
>
> Signed-off-by: Lorenzo Stoakes <lorenzo.stoakes@oracle.com>

Thanks for the cleanup Lorenzo, and sorry for the delay in reviewing
your patches. I finally have some time and will try to finish my
review today.

Reviewed-by: Suren Baghdasaryan <surenb@google.com>

> ---
> include/linux/mm_types.h | 17 +++++++++++++----
> include/linux/mmap_lock.h | 14 ++++++++------
> mm/mmap_lock.c | 17 ++++++++++-------
> 3 files changed, 31 insertions(+), 17 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/include/linux/mm_types.h b/include/linux/mm_types.h
> index 78950eb8926d..94de392ed3c5 100644
> --- a/include/linux/mm_types.h
> +++ b/include/linux/mm_types.h
> @@ -752,8 +752,17 @@ static inline struct anon_vma_name *anon_vma_name_alloc(const char *name)
> }
> #endif
>
> -#define VMA_LOCK_OFFSET 0x40000000
> -#define VMA_REF_LIMIT (VMA_LOCK_OFFSET - 1)
> +/*
> + * WHile __vma_enter_locked() is working to ensure are no read-locks held on a

s/WHile/While

> + * VMA (either while acquiring a VMA write lock or marking a VMA detached) we
> + * set the VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG in vma->vm_refcnt to indiciate to
> + * vma_start_read() that the reference count should be left alone.
> + *
> + * Once the operation is complete, this value is subtracted from vma->vm_refcnt.
> + */
> +#define VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_BIT (30)
> +#define VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG (1U << VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_BIT)
> +#define VM_REFCNT_LIMIT (VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG - 1)
>
> struct vma_numab_state {
> /*
> @@ -935,10 +944,10 @@ struct vm_area_struct {
> /*
> * Can only be written (using WRITE_ONCE()) while holding both:
> * - mmap_lock (in write mode)
> - * - vm_refcnt bit at VMA_LOCK_OFFSET is set
> + * - vm_refcnt bit at VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG is set
> * Can be read reliably while holding one of:
> * - mmap_lock (in read or write mode)
> - * - vm_refcnt bit at VMA_LOCK_OFFSET is set or vm_refcnt > 1
> + * - vm_refcnt bit at VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_BIT is set or vm_refcnt > 1
> * Can be read unreliably (using READ_ONCE()) for pessimistic bailout
> * while holding nothing (except RCU to keep the VMA struct allocated).
> *
> diff --git a/include/linux/mmap_lock.h b/include/linux/mmap_lock.h
> index b50416fbba20..5acbd4ba1b52 100644
> --- a/include/linux/mmap_lock.h
> +++ b/include/linux/mmap_lock.h
> @@ -125,12 +125,14 @@ static inline void vma_lock_init(struct vm_area_struct *vma, bool reset_refcnt)
> static inline bool is_vma_writer_only(int refcnt)
> {
> /*
> - * With a writer and no readers, refcnt is VMA_LOCK_OFFSET if the vma
> - * is detached and (VMA_LOCK_OFFSET + 1) if it is attached. Waiting on
> - * a detached vma happens only in vma_mark_detached() and is a rare
> - * case, therefore most of the time there will be no unnecessary wakeup.
> + * With a writer and no readers, refcnt is VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG
> + * if the vma is detached and (VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG + 1) if it is
> + * attached. Waiting on a detached vma happens only in
> + * vma_mark_detached() and is a rare case, therefore most of the time
> + * there will be no unnecessary wakeup.
> */
> - return (refcnt & VMA_LOCK_OFFSET) && refcnt <= VMA_LOCK_OFFSET + 1;
> + return (refcnt & VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG) &&
> + refcnt <= VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG + 1;
> }
>
> static inline void vma_refcount_put(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
> @@ -159,7 +161,7 @@ static inline bool vma_start_read_locked_nested(struct vm_area_struct *vma, int
>
> mmap_assert_locked(vma->vm_mm);
> if (unlikely(!__refcount_inc_not_zero_limited_acquire(&vma->vm_refcnt, &oldcnt,
> - VMA_REF_LIMIT)))
> + VM_REFCNT_LIMIT)))
> return false;
>
> rwsem_acquire_read(&vma->vmlock_dep_map, 0, 1, _RET_IP_);
> diff --git a/mm/mmap_lock.c b/mm/mmap_lock.c
> index 7421b7ea8001..1d23b48552e9 100644
> --- a/mm/mmap_lock.c
> +++ b/mm/mmap_lock.c
> @@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static inline int __vma_enter_locked(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
> bool detaching, int state)
> {
> int err;
> - unsigned int tgt_refcnt = VMA_LOCK_OFFSET;
> + unsigned int tgt_refcnt = VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG;
>
> mmap_assert_write_locked(vma->vm_mm);
>
> @@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ static inline int __vma_enter_locked(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
> * If vma is detached then only vma_mark_attached() can raise the
> * vm_refcnt. mmap_write_lock prevents racing with vma_mark_attached().
> */
> - if (!refcount_add_not_zero(VMA_LOCK_OFFSET, &vma->vm_refcnt))
> + if (!refcount_add_not_zero(VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG, &vma->vm_refcnt))
> return 0;
>
> rwsem_acquire(&vma->vmlock_dep_map, 0, 0, _RET_IP_);
> @@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ static inline int __vma_enter_locked(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
> refcount_read(&vma->vm_refcnt) == tgt_refcnt,
> state);
> if (err) {
> - if (refcount_sub_and_test(VMA_LOCK_OFFSET, &vma->vm_refcnt)) {
> + if (refcount_sub_and_test(VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG, &vma->vm_refcnt)) {
> /*
> * The wait failed, but the last reader went away
> * as well. Tell the caller the VMA is detached.
> @@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ static inline int __vma_enter_locked(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
>
> static inline void __vma_exit_locked(struct vm_area_struct *vma, bool *detached)
> {
> - *detached = refcount_sub_and_test(VMA_LOCK_OFFSET, &vma->vm_refcnt);
> + *detached = refcount_sub_and_test(VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG,
> + &vma->vm_refcnt);
> rwsem_release(&vma->vmlock_dep_map, _RET_IP_);
> }
>
> @@ -180,13 +181,15 @@ static inline struct vm_area_struct *vma_start_read(struct mm_struct *mm,
> }
>
> /*
> - * If VMA_LOCK_OFFSET is set, __refcount_inc_not_zero_limited_acquire()
> - * will fail because VMA_REF_LIMIT is less than VMA_LOCK_OFFSET.
> + * If VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG is set,
> + * __refcount_inc_not_zero_limited_acquire() will fail because
> + * VM_REFCNT_LIMIT is less than VM_REFCNT_EXCLUDE_READERS_FLAG.
> + *
> * Acquire fence is required here to avoid reordering against later
> * vm_lock_seq check and checks inside lock_vma_under_rcu().
> */
> if (unlikely(!__refcount_inc_not_zero_limited_acquire(&vma->vm_refcnt, &oldcnt,
> - VMA_REF_LIMIT))) {
> + VM_REFCNT_LIMIT))) {
> /* return EAGAIN if vma got detached from under us */
> vma = oldcnt ? NULL : ERR_PTR(-EAGAIN);
> goto err;
> --
> 2.52.0