Re: [PATCH] lib/vsprintf: add %pT format specifier

["Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@linux.vnet.ibm.com>]

On Sat, Jan 11, 2014 at 12:09:46PM +0900, Tetsuo Handa wrote:
> Andrew Morton wrote:
> > In the absence of step 3, steps 1 and 2 are rather pointless churn.
> > 
> > So I think it would be better to merge (into mainline) steps 1 and 3
> > first and at the same time.  Then start thinking about step 2.
> 
> Unfortunately we can't.
> Step 2 depends on step 1 for avoiding compile time errors.
> Step 3 depends on step 2 for avoiding run time errors.
> 
>   Step 1: (targeted to 3.14-rc1)
>     Add "%pT" format specifier and commcpy() wrapper function.
> 
>   Step 2: (started after step 1 is reflected to other git trees)
>     Replace printk("%s", current->comm) with printk("%pT", NULL).
>     Replace printk("%s", p->comm) with printk("%pT", p).
>     Replace strcpy(buf, p->comm) with commcpy(buf, p).
> 
>   Step 3: (started after step 2 is reflected to other git trees)
>     Add rcu_read_lock()/rcu_read_unlock() into commcpy().
>     Modify set_task_comm() etc. to replace ->comm using RCU.
> 
> If step 3 is merged into mainline before step 2 complete, those who are not
> using "%pT" or commcpy() might crash due to reading RCU protected ->comm
> without rcu_read_lock()/rcu_read_unlock().
> 
> 
> Let me confirm, Paul.
> 
>   I'm trying to change task_struct->comm to use RCU.
>   At step 3, I'm planning to do
> 
>   static inline void *commcpy(void *buf, const struct task_struct *tsk)
>   {
>   	rcu_read_lock();
>   	memcpy(buf, tsk->comm, TASK_COMM_LEN);
>   	rcu_read_unlock();
>   	return buf;
>   }
> 
>   and let set_task_comm() wait for readers using synchronize_rcu() or
>   call_rcu().
> 
>   Given that commcpy() can be called from any context, are synchronize_rcu()
>   and call_rcu() sufficient for waiting for commcpy() users?

Yep, that should work.

							Thanx, Paul