Re: [PATCH 1/5] fallocate() implementation in i86, x86_64 and powerpc

Amit K. Arora
2007-05-07T11:03:55Z

Andrew,

Thanks for the review comments!

On Thu, May 03, 2007 at 09:29:55PM -0700, Andrew Morton wrote:
> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 23:33:32 +0530 "Amit K. Arora" <aarora@linux.vnet.ibm.com> wrote:
>
> > This patch implements the fallocate() system call and adds support for
> > i386, x86_64 and powerpc.
> >
> > ...
> >
> > +asmlinkage long sys_fallocate(int fd, int mode, loff_t offset, loff_t len)
>
> Please add a comment over this function which specifies its behaviour.
> Really it should be enough material from which a full manpage can be
> written.
>
> If that's all too much, this material should at least be spelled out in the
> changelog. Because there's no way in which this change can be fully
> reviewed unless someone (ie: you) tells us what it is setting out to
> achieve.
>
> If we 100% implement some standard then a URL for what we claim to
> implement would suffice. Given that we're at least using different types from
> posix I doubt if such a thing would be sufficient.
>
> And given the complexity and potential variability within the filesystem
> implementations of this, I'd expect that _something_ additional needs to be
> said?

Ok. I will add a detailed comment here.

>
> > +{
> > + struct file *file;
> > + struct inode *inode;
> > + long ret = -EINVAL;
> > +
> > + if (len == 0 || offset < 0)
> > + goto out;
>
> The posix spec implies that negative `len' is permitted - presumably "allocate
> ahead of `offset'". How peculiar.

I think we should go ahead with current glibc implementation (which
Jakub poited at) of not allowing a negative 'len', since posix also
doesn't explicitly say anything about allowing negative 'len'.

>
> > + ret = -EBADF;
> > + file = fget(fd);
> > + if (!file)
> > + goto out;
> > + if (!(file->f_mode & FMODE_WRITE))
> > + goto out_fput;
> > +
> > + inode = file->f_path.dentry->d_inode;
> > +
> > + ret = -ESPIPE;
> > + if (S_ISFIFO(inode->i_mode))
> > + goto out_fput;
> > +
> > + ret = -ENODEV;
> > + if (!S_ISREG(inode->i_mode))
> > + goto out_fput;
>
> So we return ENODEV against an S_ISBLK fd, as per the posix spec. That
> seems a bit silly of them.

True.

> > + ret = -EFBIG;
> > + if (offset + len > inode->i_sb->s_maxbytes)
> > + goto out_fput;
>
> This code does handle offset+len going negative, but only by accident, I
> suspect. It happens that s_maxbytes has unsigned type. Perhaps a comment
> here would settle the reader's mind.

Ok. I will add a check here for wrap though zero.

> > + if (inode->i_op && inode->i_op->fallocate)
> > + ret = inode->i_op->fallocate(inode, mode, offset, len);
> > + else
> > + ret = -ENOSYS;
>
> If we _are_ going to support negative `len', as posix suggests, I think we
> should perform the appropriate sanity conversions to `offset' and `len'
> right here, rather than expecting each filesystem to do it.
>
> If we're not going to handle negative `len' then we should check for it.

Will add a check for negative 'len' and return -EINVAL. This will be
done where currently we check for negative offset (i.e. at the start of
the function).

> > +out_fput:
> > + fput(file);
> > +out:
> > + return ret;
> > +}
> > +EXPORT_SYMBOL(sys_fallocate);
>
> I don't believe this needs to be exported to modules?

Ok. Will remove it.

> > +/*
> > + * fallocate() modes
> > + */
> > +#define FA_ALLOCATE 0x1
> > +#define FA_DEALLOCATE 0x2
>
> Now those aren't in posix. They should be documented, along with their
> expected semantics.

Will add a comment describing the role of these modes.

> > #ifdef __KERNEL__
> >
> > #include <linux/linkage.h>
> > @@ -1125,6 +1131,7 @@ struct inode_operations {
> > ssize_t (*listxattr) (struct dentry *, char *, size_t);
> > int (*removexattr) (struct dentry *, const char *);
> > void (*truncate_range)(struct inode *, loff_t, loff_t);
> > + long (*fallocate)(struct inode *, int, loff_t, loff_t);
>
> I really do think it's better to put the variable names in definitions such
> as this. Especially when we have two identically-typed variables next to
> each other like that. Quick: which one is the offset and which is the
> length?

Ok. Will add the variable names here.

--
Regards,
Amit Arora