Re: [PATCH net-next] net: filter: rename 'struct sk_filter' to 'struct bpf_prog'

Alexei Starovoitov
2014-07-25T18:58:47Z

On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 11:50 AM, Willem de Bruijn <willemb@google.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 2:43 PM, Alexei Starovoitov <ast@plumgrid.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 11:32 AM, Willem de Bruijn <willemb@google.com> wrote:
>>>>> This follows a convention in include/uapi/linux/netfilter/*.h that
>>>>> likely predates the introduction of uapi. A search for "Used
>>>>> internally by the kernel" shows many more examples. I should not have
>>>>> included filter.h, however. The common behavior when using pointers
>>>>> to kernel-internal structures is to have a forward declaration. I suggest
>>>>> making that change, instead of changing to void *. This avoids having
>>>>> to add casts where xt_bpf_info is used in net/netfilter/xt_bpf.c:
>>>>
>>>> that will not avoid typecast.
>>>> Either 'void *' approach or extra 'struct sk_filter;' approach, both need
>>>> type casts to 'struct bpf_prog' in xt_bpf.c
>>>> (because of SK_RUN_FILTER macro)
>>>> Therefore I prefer extra 'struct sk_filter;' approach.
>>>
>>> I hadn't noticed that your patch makes the same change that I
>>> proposed. Nothing in userspace should touch that pointer, so it is
>>> fine to change its type to struct bpf_prog* at the same time. No need
>>> for typecasts.
>>
>> really? I don't think it's a good idea to expose kernel struct type
>> to user space. How is it even going to compile?
>
> a forward declaration.
>
>> #include <linux/filter.h> brings different files in kernel and in user space.
>> struct bpf_prog is undefined in user space and compiler will complain.
>> Adding 'struct bpf_prog;' will be ugly.
>> imo the lesser evil is adding 'struct sk_filter;' and doing type casts
>> in kernel.
>
> but the exact same argument applies to sk_filter. If that struct is
> renamed everywhere else, then the result will only be more confusing.
> A forward declaration is the standard workaround to all such cases in
> include/uapi/linux/netfilter. See for instance xt_connlimit.h. This is
> sufficient to allow userspace build to succeed, without exposing any
> kernel structure detail. If you don't even want to leak the name, then
> let's make it void *. Keeping a declaration for sk_filter, while
> sk_filter is renamed everywhere else is the least good option, in my
> opinion.

well, since you the author of this bit and you're ok with 'void *', I'm ok
with it too :) Just typecast in kernel is still needed because of
SK_RUN_FILTER() macro...