Re: [PATCH 7.2 v16 05/13] mm/khugepaged: generalize collapse_huge_page for mTHP collapse

Usama Arif
2026-04-20T14:21:08Z

On Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:57:42 -0600 Nico Pache <npache@redhat.com> wrote:

> Pass an order and offset to collapse_huge_page to support collapsing anon
> memory to arbitrary orders within a PMD. order indicates what mTHP size we
> are attempting to collapse to, and offset indicates were in the PMD to
> start the collapse attempt.
>
> For non-PMD collapse we must leave the anon VMA write locked until after
> we collapse the mTHP-- in the PMD case all the pages are isolated, but in
> the mTHP case this is not true, and we must keep the lock to prevent
> access/changes to the page tables. This can happen if the rmap walkers hit
> a pmd_none while the PMD entry is currently unavailable due to being
> temporarily removed during the collapse phase.
>
> Signed-off-by: Nico Pache <npache@redhat.com>
> ---
> mm/khugepaged.c | 103 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------------
> 1 file changed, 57 insertions(+), 46 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/mm/khugepaged.c b/mm/khugepaged.c
> index 283bb63854a5..ff6f9f1883ed 100644
> --- a/mm/khugepaged.c
> +++ b/mm/khugepaged.c
> @@ -1198,42 +1198,36 @@ static enum scan_result alloc_charge_folio(struct folio **foliop, struct mm_stru
> return SCAN_SUCCEED;
> }
>
> -static enum scan_result collapse_huge_page(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long address,
> - int referenced, int unmapped, struct collapse_control *cc)
> +static enum scan_result collapse_huge_page(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long start_addr,
> + int referenced, int unmapped, struct collapse_control *cc,
> + unsigned int order)
> {
> LIST_HEAD(compound_pagelist);
> pmd_t *pmd, _pmd;
> - pte_t *pte;
> + pte_t *pte = NULL;
> pgtable_t pgtable;
> struct folio *folio;
> spinlock_t *pmd_ptl, *pte_ptl;
> enum scan_result result = SCAN_FAIL;
> struct vm_area_struct *vma;
> struct mmu_notifier_range range;
> + bool anon_vma_locked = false;
> + const unsigned long pmd_addr = start_addr & HPAGE_PMD_MASK;
> + const unsigned long end_addr = start_addr + (PAGE_SIZE << order);
>
> - VM_BUG_ON(address & ~HPAGE_PMD_MASK);
> -
> - /*
> - * Before allocating the hugepage, release the mmap_lock read lock.
> - * The allocation can take potentially a long time if it involves
> - * sync compaction, and we do not need to hold the mmap_lock during
> - * that. We will recheck the vma after taking it again in write mode.
> - */
> - mmap_read_unlock(mm);
> -

My understanding now is that the caller will need to drop the mmap_read lock?

This needs explicit documentation at the start of the function IMO. I think
there are callers in later patches and its very easy to miss this.

> - result = alloc_charge_folio(&folio, mm, cc, HPAGE_PMD_ORDER);
> + result = alloc_charge_folio(&folio, mm, cc, order);
> if (result != SCAN_SUCCEED)
> goto out_nolock;
>
> mmap_read_lock(mm);
> - result = hugepage_vma_revalidate(mm, address, true, &vma, cc,
> - HPAGE_PMD_ORDER);
> + result = hugepage_vma_revalidate(mm, pmd_addr, /*expect_anon=*/ true,
> + &vma, cc, order);
> if (result != SCAN_SUCCEED) {
> mmap_read_unlock(mm);
> goto out_nolock;
> }
>
> - result = find_pmd_or_thp_or_none(mm, address, &pmd);
> + result = find_pmd_or_thp_or_none(mm, pmd_addr, &pmd);
> if (result != SCAN_SUCCEED) {
> mmap_read_unlock(mm);
> goto out_nolock;
> @@ -1245,8 +1239,8 @@ static enum scan_result collapse_huge_page(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long a
> * released when it fails. So we jump out_nolock directly in
> * that case. Continuing to collapse causes inconsistency.
> */
> - result = __collapse_huge_page_swapin(mm, vma, address, pmd,
> - referenced, HPAGE_PMD_ORDER);
> + result = __collapse_huge_page_swapin(mm, vma, start_addr, pmd,
> + referenced, order);
> if (result != SCAN_SUCCEED)
> goto out_nolock;
> }
> @@ -1261,20 +1255,21 @@ static enum scan_result collapse_huge_page(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long a
> * mmap_lock.
> */
> mmap_write_lock(mm);
> - result = hugepage_vma_revalidate(mm, address, true, &vma, cc,
> - HPAGE_PMD_ORDER);
> + result = hugepage_vma_revalidate(mm, pmd_addr, /*expect_anon=*/ true,
> + &vma, cc, order);
> if (result != SCAN_SUCCEED)
> goto out_up_write;
> /* check if the pmd is still valid */
> vma_start_write(vma);
> - result = check_pmd_still_valid(mm, address, pmd);
> + result = check_pmd_still_valid(mm, pmd_addr, pmd);
> if (result != SCAN_SUCCEED)
> goto out_up_write;
>
> anon_vma_lock_write(vma->anon_vma);
> + anon_vma_locked = true;
>
> - mmu_notifier_range_init(&range, MMU_NOTIFY_CLEAR, 0, mm, address,
> - address + HPAGE_PMD_SIZE);
> + mmu_notifier_range_init(&range, MMU_NOTIFY_CLEAR, 0, mm, start_addr,
> + end_addr);
> mmu_notifier_invalidate_range_start(&range);
>
> pmd_ptl = pmd_lock(mm, pmd); /* probably unnecessary */
> @@ -1286,26 +1281,23 @@ static enum scan_result collapse_huge_page(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long a
> * Parallel GUP-fast is fine since GUP-fast will back off when
> * it detects PMD is changed.
> */
> - _pmd = pmdp_collapse_flush(vma, address, pmd);
> + _pmd = pmdp_collapse_flush(vma, pmd_addr, pmd);

For an mTHP collapse covering, say, 64KiB of a 2MiB PMD, the patch still
flushes the entire PMD via pmdp_collapse_flush and tlb_remove_table_sync_one.
That triggers cross-CPU TLB shootdowns for ~1.94MiB of unrelated mappings on
every successful sub-PMD collapse. Probably acceptable as a first cut?

> spin_unlock(pmd_ptl);
> mmu_notifier_invalidate_range_end(&range);
> tlb_remove_table_sync_one();
>
> - pte = pte_offset_map_lock(mm, &_pmd, address, &pte_ptl);
> + pte = pte_offset_map_lock(mm, &_pmd, start_addr, &pte_ptl);
> if (pte) {
> - result = __collapse_huge_page_isolate(vma, address, pte, cc,
> - HPAGE_PMD_ORDER,
> - &compound_pagelist);
> + result = __collapse_huge_page_isolate(vma, start_addr, pte, cc,
> + order, &compound_pagelist);
> spin_unlock(pte_ptl);
> } else {
> result = SCAN_NO_PTE_TABLE;
> }
>
> if (unlikely(result != SCAN_SUCCEED)) {
> - if (pte)
> - pte_unmap(pte);
> spin_lock(pmd_ptl);
> - BUG_ON(!pmd_none(*pmd));
> + WARN_ON_ONCE(!pmd_none(*pmd));

Why was this turned into WARN_ON_ONCE? Would be good to add to commit message
what the reason is if it has been discussed earlier.

The next line writes a PMD entry over an existing one — that leaks the
previous page table or PMD-mapped folio and can corrupt VA mappings. BUG_ON
failed loudly and safely; WARN_ON_ONCE continues into the corruption and falls
silent after the first hit.

> /*
> * We can only use set_pmd_at when establishing
> * hugepmds and never for establishing regular pmds that
> @@ -1313,21 +1305,24 @@ static enum scan_result collapse_huge_page(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long a
> */
> pmd_populate(mm, pmd, pmd_pgtable(_pmd));
> spin_unlock(pmd_ptl);
> - anon_vma_unlock_write(vma->anon_vma);
> goto out_up_write;
> }
>
> /*
> - * All pages are isolated and locked so anon_vma rmap
> - * can't run anymore.
> + * For PMD collapse all pages are isolated and locked so anon_vma
> + * rmap can't run anymore. For mTHP collapse the PMD entry has been
> + * removed and not all pages are isolated and locked, so we must hold
> + * the lock to prevent neighboring folios from attempting to access
> + * this PMD until its reinstalled.
> */
> - anon_vma_unlock_write(vma->anon_vma);
> + if (is_pmd_order(order)) {
> + anon_vma_unlock_write(vma->anon_vma);
> + anon_vma_locked = false;
> + }
>
> result = __collapse_huge_page_copy(pte, folio, pmd, _pmd,
> - vma, address, pte_ptl,
> - HPAGE_PMD_ORDER,
> - &compound_pagelist);
> - pte_unmap(pte);
> + vma, start_addr, pte_ptl,
> + order, &compound_pagelist);
> if (unlikely(result != SCAN_SUCCEED))
> goto out_up_write;
>
> @@ -1337,18 +1332,27 @@ static enum scan_result collapse_huge_page(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long a
> * write.
> */
> __folio_mark_uptodate(folio);
> - pgtable = pmd_pgtable(_pmd);
> -
> spin_lock(pmd_ptl);
> - BUG_ON(!pmd_none(*pmd));
> - pgtable_trans_huge_deposit(mm, pmd, pgtable);
> - map_anon_folio_pmd_nopf(folio, pmd, vma, address);
> + WARN_ON_ONCE(!pmd_none(*pmd));
> + if (is_pmd_order(order)) { /* PMD collapse */
> + pgtable = pmd_pgtable(_pmd);
> + pgtable_trans_huge_deposit(mm, pmd, pgtable);
> + map_anon_folio_pmd_nopf(folio, pmd, vma, pmd_addr);
> + } else { /* mTHP collapse */
> + map_anon_folio_pte_nopf(folio, pte, vma, start_addr, /*uffd_wp=*/ false);

map_anon_folio_pte_nopf calls set_ptes and modifies pagetable, while holding
pmd_ptl only. It should be safe as we expect pmd_none. But I think you should
put a comment about this?

> + smp_wmb(); /* make PTEs visible before PMD. See pmd_install() */
> + pmd_populate(mm, pmd, pmd_pgtable(_pmd));
> + }
> spin_unlock(pmd_ptl);
>
> folio = NULL;
>
> result = SCAN_SUCCEED;
> out_up_write:
> + if (anon_vma_locked)
> + anon_vma_unlock_write(vma->anon_vma);
> + if (pte)
> + pte_unmap(pte);
> mmap_write_unlock(mm);
> out_nolock:
> if (folio)
> @@ -1525,8 +1529,15 @@ static enum scan_result collapse_scan_pmd(struct mm_struct *mm,
> out_unmap:
> pte_unmap_unlock(pte, ptl);
> if (result == SCAN_SUCCEED) {
> + /*
> + * Before allocating the hugepage, release the mmap_lock read lock.
> + * The allocation can take potentially a long time if it involves
> + * sync compaction, and we do not need to hold the mmap_lock during
> + * that. We will recheck the vma after taking it again in write mode.
> + */
> + mmap_read_unlock(mm);
> result = collapse_huge_page(mm, start_addr, referenced,
> - unmapped, cc);
> + unmapped, cc, HPAGE_PMD_ORDER);
> /* collapse_huge_page will return with the mmap_lock released */
> *lock_dropped = true;
> }
> --
> 2.53.0
>
>