Re: [PATCH v3 1/2] rust: kernel: add `drop_contents` to `BoxExt`

Benno Lossin
2024-08-03T15:32:13Z

On 03.08.24 17:11, Boqun Feng wrote:
> On Sat, Aug 03, 2024 at 02:23:42PM +0000, Benno Lossin wrote:
>> On 03.08.24 16:16, Benno Lossin wrote:
>>> @@ -53,4 +69,12 @@ fn new_uninit(flags: Flags) -> Result<Box<MaybeUninit<T>>, AllocError> {
>>> // zero-sized types, we use `NonNull::dangling`.
>>> Ok(unsafe { Box::from_raw(ptr) })
>>> }
>>> +
>>> + fn drop_contents(this: Self) -> Box<MaybeUninit<T>> {
>>> + let ptr = Box::into_raw(this);
>>> + // SAFETY: `ptr` is valid, because it came from `Box::into_raw`.
>>> + unsafe { ptr::drop_in_place(ptr) };
>>> + // SAFETY: `ptr` is valid, because it came from `Box::into_raw`.
>>
>> I just noticed that I missed another comment from Boqun here. Got
>> confused with the two mails. I would replace the comment above with
>>
>> // CAST: `T` and `MaybeUninit<T>` have the same layout.
>> let ptr = ptr.cast::<MaybeUninit<T>>();
>> // SAFETY: `ptr` is valid for writes, because it came from `Box::into_raw` and it is valid for
>> // reads, since the pointer came from `Box::into_raw` and the type is `MaybeUninit<T>`.
>>
>> Let me know if you want another version.
>
> Looks good to me, please do send an updated version.
>
> Although, I would expect the "CAST" comment already explains that if
> `ptr` is a valid, then the casting result is also valid, i.e. we put
> "CAST" comments on the casting that matters to safety. But that seems
> not matching what you use CAST for?

Well the pointer is no longer valid for reads, since the value has been
dropped. Only through the cast, it becomes again read-valid.

CAST comments must justify why the layouts are the same. On that note,
this comment might be better:

// CAST: `MaybeUninit<T>` is a transparent wrapper of `T`.

---
Cheers,
Benno