public inbox for linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
 help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: Eric Sandeen <sandeen@sgi.com>
To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH 2.6.13] clear_buffer_uptodate() in discard_buffer()
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 16:25:40 -0500	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <43289554.7010606@sgi.com> (raw)

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1804 bytes --]

I was tracking down a problem in XFS, with this testcase:

(where blocksize = 1/4 page size)

seek out 4 blocks
write 2 blocks (EOF now at 6 blocks)
truncate back to 4 blocks + a few bytes
truncate out to 6 blocks

This should wind up with:

4 blocks of hole | 1 block of data | 1 block of hole

but instead gave:

4 blocks of hole | 2 blocks of data

The last extending truncate, which should lead to a hole of 1 filesystem block 
at the end of the file, wound up getting allocated as an extent.  I tracked 
this down to the first truncate back, where we called discard_buffer() on the 
buffer head covering the last block in the file.  discard_buffer() clears 
several bh state flags, and nulls b_bdev, but it does NOT clear the uptodate flag.

XFS later comes along and allocates blocks for the file (due to a periodic 
sync, in the simplest case), and finds that the buffer_head over the last block 
before EOF is Uptodate, and allocates a block where there should be a hole.

I submit this patch with some hesitation, because a few years ago, akpm 
committed this changeset:

http://linux.bkbits.net:8080/linux-2.6/cset@1.373.70.7?nav=index.html|src/|src/fs|related/fs/buffer.c

which specifically -removed- the clearing of BH_Uptodate in discard_buffer().

Andrew had some concerns about clearing the bh uptodate flag without possibly 
changing the page state, but didn't otherwise remember the details. :)

However, when we truncate down & call discard_buffer, this buffer head is now 
out past EOF, and any other buffers also past EOF on this page have no state at 
all; they also are in their initialized state from alloc_page_buffers with 0 
b_state, and NULL b_bdev, etc.  So by clearing Uptodate on this truncated 
buffer, it simply joins it's friends at the end of the page.

Thanks,

-Eric

[-- Attachment #2: bh_uptodate.patch --]
[-- Type: text/x-patch, Size: 347 bytes --]

Signed-off-by: Eric Sandeen <sandeen.sgi.com>

--- a/fs/buffer.c	2005-09-14 15:54:19.000000000 -0500
+++ b/fs/buffer.c	2005-09-14 15:53:52.000000000 -0500
@@ -1549,6 +1549,7 @@
 	lock_buffer(bh);
 	clear_buffer_dirty(bh);
 	bh->b_bdev = NULL;
+	clear_buffer_uptodate(bh);
 	clear_buffer_mapped(bh);
 	clear_buffer_req(bh);
 	clear_buffer_new(bh);

                 reply	other threads:[~2005-09-14 21:25 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: [no followups] expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed

Reply instructions:

You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:

* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
  and reply-to-all from there: mbox

  Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style

* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
  switches of git-send-email(1):

  git send-email \
    --in-reply-to=43289554.7010606@sgi.com \
    --to=sandeen@sgi.com \
    --cc=linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org \
    /path/to/YOUR_REPLY

  https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html

* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
  via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox