Re: [PATCH] hfsplus: limit sb_maxbytes to partition size

Hyunchul Lee
2026-03-09T00:52:23Z

On Fri, Mar 06, 2026 at 08:08:40PM +0000, Viacheslav Dubeyko wrote:
> On Fri, 2026-03-06 at 11:05 +0900, Hyunchul Lee wrote:
> > On Fri, Mar 06, 2026 at 01:23:16AM +0000, Viacheslav Dubeyko wrote:
> > > On Fri, 2026-03-06 at 09:57 +0900, Hyunchul Lee wrote:
> > > > On Thu, Mar 05, 2026 at 11:21:19PM +0000, Viacheslav Dubeyko wrote:
> > > > > On Thu, 2026-03-05 at 10:52 +0900, Hyunchul Lee wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Sorry it's generic/285, not generic/268.
> > > > > > > > in generic/285, there is a test that creates a hole exceeding the block
> > > > > > > > size and appends small data to the file. hfsplus fails because it fills
> > > > > > > > the block device and returns ENOSPC. However if it returns EFBIG
> > > > > > > > instead, the test is skipped.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > For writes like xfs_io -c "pwrite 8t 512", should fops->write_iter
> > > > > > > > returns ENOSPC, or would it be better to return EFBIG?
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Current hfsplus_file_extend() implementation doesn't support holes. I assume you
> > > > > > > mean this code [1]:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > len = hip->clump_blocks;
> > > > > > > start = hfsplus_block_allocate(sb, sbi->total_blocks, goal, &len);
> > > > > > > if (start >= sbi->total_blocks) {
> > > > > > > start = hfsplus_block_allocate(sb, goal, 0, &len);
> > > > > > > if (start >= goal) {
> > > > > > > res = -ENOSPC;
> > > > > > > goto out;
> > > > > > > }
> > > > > > > }
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Am I correct?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > Yes,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > hfsplus_write_begin()
> > > > > > cont_write_begin()
> > > > > > cont_expand_zero()
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 1) xfs_io -c "pwrite 8t 512"
> > > > > > 2) hfsplus_begin_write() is called with offset 2^43 and length 512
> > > > > > 3) cont_expand_zero() allocates and zeroes out one block repeatedly
> > > > > > for the range
> > > > > > 0 to 2^43 - 1. To achieve this, hfsplus_write_begin() is called repeatedly.
> > > > > > 4) hfsplus_write_begin() allocates one block through hfsplus_get_block() =>
> > > > > > hfsplus_file_extend()
> > > > >
> > > > > I think we can consider these directions:
> > > > >
> > > > > (1) Currently, HFS+ code doesn't support holes. So, it means that
> > > > > hfsplus_write_begin() can check pos variable and i_size_read(inode). If pos is
> > > > > bigger than i_size_read(inode), then hfsplus_file_extend() will reject such
> > > > > request. So, we can return error code (probably, -EFBIG) for this case without
> > > > > calling hfsplus_file_extend(). But, from another point of view, maybe,
> > > > > hfsplus_file_extend() could be one place for this check. Does it make sense?
> > > > >
> > > > > (2) I think that hfsplus_file_extend() could treat hole or absence of free
> > > > > blocks like -ENOSPC. Probably, we can change the error code from -ENOSPC to -
> > > > > EFBIG in hfsplus_write_begin(). What do you think?
> > > > >
> > > > Even if holes are not supported, shouldn't the following writes be
> > > > supported?
> > > >
> > > > xfs_io -f -c "pwrite 4k 512" <file-path>
> > > >
> > > > If so, since we need to support cases where pos > i_size_read(inode),
> > >
> > > The pos > i_size_read(inode) means that you create the hole. Because,
> >
> > That's correct. However I believe that not supporting writes like the
> > one mentioned above is a significant limitation. Filesystems that don't
> > support sparse files, such as exFAT, allocate blocks and fill them with
> > zeros.
> >
>
> You are welcomed to write the code for HFS/HFS+. :) I'll be happy to see such
> support.
>
> > > oppositely, when HFS+ logic tries to allocate new block, then it expects to have
> > > pos == i_size_read(inode). And we need to take into account this code [1]:
> > >
> > > if (iblock >= hip->fs_blocks) {
> > > if (!create)
> > > return 0;
> > > if (iblock > hip->fs_blocks) <-- This is the rejection of hole
> > > return -EIO;
> > > if (ablock >= hip->alloc_blocks) {
> > > res = hfsplus_file_extend(inode, false);
> > > if (res)
> > > return res;
> > > }
> > > }
> > >
> > > The generic_write_end() changes the inode size: i_size_write(inode, pos +
> > > copied).
> >
> > I think that it's not problem.
> >
> > hfsplus_write_begin()
> > cont_write_begin()
> > cont_expand_zero()
> >
> > cont_expand_zero() calls hfsplus_get_block() to allocate blocks between
> > i_size_read(inode) and pos, if pos > i_size_read(inode).
> >
>
> Currently, HFS/HFS+ expect that file should be extended without holes. It means
> that next allocating block should be equal to number of allocated blocks in
> file. If pos > i_size_read(inode), then it means that next allocating block is
> not equal to number of allocated blocks in file.
>
> If you imply that requested length could include multiple blocks for allocation,
> then next allocating block should be equal to number of allocated blocks on
> every step. And if the next allocating block is bigger than number of allocated
> blocks in file, then hole creation is requested.
>
> So, what are we discussing here? :)
>

The email is getting lengty, so I will try to summarize the
discussion. :)

As mentioned before, if hfsplus_write_begin() returns an error when
pos > i_size_read(inode), the following write will fail:

xfs_io -f -c "pwrite 4k 512" <file-path>

However, currently hfsplus allows this write.

Therefore, the condition, pos - i_size_read(inode) > free space is
necessary, and futhermore, I think it is better to check the condtion
in write_iter() instead of write_begin().

> > >
> > > > wouldn't the condition "pos - i_size_read(inode) > free space" be better?
> > > > Also instead of checking every time in hfsplus_write_begin() or
> > > > hfsplus_file_extend(), how about implementing the check in the
> > > > file_operations->write_iter callback function, and returing EFBIG?
> > >
> > > Which callback do you mean here? I am not sure that it's good idea.
> > >
> >
> > Here is a simple code snippet.
> >
> > static const struct file_operations hfsplus_file_operations = {
> > ...
> > - .write_iter = generic_file_write_iter,
> > + .write_iter = hfsplus_file_write_iter,
> > ...
> >
> > +ssize_t hfsplus_file_write_iter(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *iter)
> > +{
> > ...
> > + // check iocb->ki_pos is beyond i_size
> > +
> > + ret = generic_file_write_iter(iocb, iter);
> >
>
> The hfsplus_write_begin() will be called before hfsplus_file_write_iter() if we
> are trying to extend the file. And hfsplus_get_block() calls
> hfsplus_file_extend() that will call hfsplus_block_allocate(). So, everything
> will happen before hfsplus_file_write_iter() call. What's the point to have the
> check here?

The callstack for write(2) is as follows. Am I misunderstanding
something?

write()
do_sync_write()
fops->write_iter()
generic_file_write_iter()
aops->write_begin()
hfsplus_write_begin()

>
> Thanks,
> Slava.
>
> >

--
Thanks,
Hyunchul