Re: [PATCH -mm] vmscan: make mapped executable pages the first class citizen

Minchan Kim
2009-05-08T09:34:57Z

On Fri, 8 May 2009 16:09:21 +0800
Wu Fengguang <fengguang.wu@intel.com> wrote:

> On Fri, May 08, 2009 at 03:30:42PM +0800, Minchan Kim wrote:
> > Hi, Let me have a question.
> >
> > On Fri, 8 May 2009 11:02:09 +0800
> > Wu Fengguang <fengguang.wu@intel.com> wrote:
> >
> > > On Thu, May 07, 2009 at 11:10:39PM +0800, Johannes Weiner wrote:
> > > > On Thu, May 07, 2009 at 08:11:01PM +0800, Wu Fengguang wrote:
> > > > > Introduce AS_EXEC to mark executables and their linked libraries, and to
> > > > > protect their referenced active pages from being deactivated.
> > > > >
> > > > > CC: Elladan <elladan@eskimo.com>
> > > > > CC: Nick Piggin <npiggin@suse.de>
> > > > > CC: Johannes Weiner <hannes@cmpxchg.org>
> > > > > CC: Christoph Lameter <cl@linux-foundation.org>
> > > > > CC: KOSAKI Motohiro <kosaki.motohiro@jp.fujitsu.com>
> > > > > Acked-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
> > > > > Acked-by: Rik van Riel <riel@redhat.com>
> > > > > Signed-off-by: Wu Fengguang <fengguang.wu@intel.com>
> > > > > ---
> > > > > include/linux/pagemap.h | 1 +
> > > > > mm/mmap.c | 2 ++
> > > > > mm/nommu.c | 2 ++
> > > > > mm/vmscan.c | 35 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
> > > > > 4 files changed, 38 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> > > > >
> > > > > --- linux.orig/include/linux/pagemap.h
> > > > > +++ linux/include/linux/pagemap.h
> > > > > @@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ enum mapping_flags {
> > > > > #ifdef CONFIG_UNEVICTABLE_LRU
> > > > > AS_UNEVICTABLE = __GFP_BITS_SHIFT + 3, /* e.g., ramdisk, SHM_LOCK */
> > > > > #endif
> > > > > + AS_EXEC = __GFP_BITS_SHIFT + 4, /* mapped PROT_EXEC somewhere */
> > > > > };
> > > > >
> > > > > static inline void mapping_set_error(struct address_space *mapping, int error)
> > > > > --- linux.orig/mm/mmap.c
> > > > > +++ linux/mm/mmap.c
> > > > > @@ -1194,6 +1194,8 @@ munmap_back:
> > > > > goto unmap_and_free_vma;
> > > > > if (vm_flags & VM_EXECUTABLE)
> > > > > added_exe_file_vma(mm);
> > > > > + if (vm_flags & VM_EXEC)
> > > > > + set_bit(AS_EXEC, &file->f_mapping->flags);
> > > > > } else if (vm_flags & VM_SHARED) {
> > > > > error = shmem_zero_setup(vma);
> > > > > if (error)
> > > > > --- linux.orig/mm/nommu.c
> > > > > +++ linux/mm/nommu.c
> > > > > @@ -1224,6 +1224,8 @@ unsigned long do_mmap_pgoff(struct file
> > > > > added_exe_file_vma(current->mm);
> > > > > vma->vm_mm = current->mm;
> > > > > }
> > > > > + if (vm_flags & VM_EXEC)
> > > > > + set_bit(AS_EXEC, &file->f_mapping->flags);
> > > > > }
> > > >
> > > > I find it a bit ugly that it applies an attribute of the memory area
> > > > (per mm) to the page cache mapping (shared). Because this in turn
> > > > means that the reference through a non-executable vma might get the
> > > > pages rotated just because there is/was an executable mmap around.
> > >
> > > Right, the intention was to identify a whole executable/library file,
> > > eg. /bin/bash or /lib/libc-2.9.so, covering both _text_ and _data_
> > > sections.
> >
> > But, your patch is care just text section.
> > Do I miss something ?
>
> This patch actually protects the mapped pages in the whole executable
> file. Sorry, the title was a bit misleading..

Yeah. I was confusing with title.
Thanks for quick reply. :)

> > > > > down_write(&nommu_region_sem);
> > > > > --- linux.orig/mm/vmscan.c
> > > > > +++ linux/mm/vmscan.c
> > > > > @@ -1230,6 +1230,7 @@ static void shrink_active_list(unsigned
> > > > > unsigned long pgmoved;
> > > > > unsigned long pgscanned;
> > > > > LIST_HEAD(l_hold); /* The pages which were snipped off */
> > > > > + LIST_HEAD(l_active);
> > > > > LIST_HEAD(l_inactive);
> > > > > struct page *page;
> > > > > struct pagevec pvec;
> > > > > @@ -1269,8 +1270,15 @@ static void shrink_active_list(unsigned
> > > > >
> > > > > /* page_referenced clears PageReferenced */
> > > > > if (page_mapping_inuse(page) &&
> > > > > - page_referenced(page, 0, sc->mem_cgroup))
> > > > > + page_referenced(page, 0, sc->mem_cgroup)) {
> > > > > + struct address_space *mapping = page_mapping(page);
> > > > > +
> > > > > pgmoved++;
> > > > > + if (mapping && test_bit(AS_EXEC, &mapping->flags)) {
> > > > > + list_add(&page->lru, &l_active);
> > > > > + continue;
> > > > > + }
> > > > > + }
> > > >
> > > > Since we walk the VMAs in page_referenced anyway, wouldn't it be
> > > > better to check if one of them is executable? This would even work
> > > > for executable anon pages. After all, there are applications that cow
> > > > executable mappings (sbcl and other language environments that use an
> > > > executable, run-time modified core image come to mind).
> > >
> > > The page_referenced() path will only cover the _text_ section. But
> >
> > Why did you said that "The page_referenced() path will only cover the ""_text_"" section" ?
> > Could you elaborate please ?
>
> I was under the wild assumption that only the _text_ section will be
> PROT_EXEC mapped. No?

Yes. I support your idea.

> Thanks,
> Fengguang

--
Kinds Regards
Minchan Kim