[PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[Stephen Hemminger]

The following set of patches fixes the problem caused by having a network
class device entry held open when removing a network module.  The simplest
case of this is:
	rmmod e100 </sys/class/net/eth0/statistics/tx_bytes

but the more realistic case is an monitoring application that has a sysfs entry open
when a card and module are removed on a production system.

The patch is small in size, it just hits a lot of files.


1 - free_netdev added to network core
2 - update documentation
3 - change kfree to free_netdev in drivers/net/*
4 - change kfree to free_netdev drivers/net/tokenring
5 - change kfree to free_netdev drivers/net/pcmcia
6 - change kfree to free_netdev other drivers
7 - change kfree to free_netdev in net/* pseudo-drivers
8 - change destructors to use free_netdev
9 - add free_netdev to drivers that seem to leak

The patches are against 2.6.0-test3 latest BK tree.

It should be trivial to maintain source compatiablity with 2.4
which doesn't need to change since it doesn't have sysfs,
by adding something like this to netdevice.h in 2.4

static __inline__ void free_netdev(struct net_device *dev) 
{
	kfree(dev);
}


Some drivers haven't been converted because they still statically
define the net_device structure, or encapsulate the net_device inside
another structure.  These drivers will work the same as before;  that is
they will be exposed to illegal memory references if sysfs file is
open when they are unloaded.

The drivers that still need work are:
=======================================================================

Al Viro has patches that fix the static allocation
in these drivers.

drivers/net/3c501.c
drivers/net/3c503.c
drivers/net/3c505.c
drivers/net/3c507.c
drivers/net/3c523.c
drivers/net/3c527.c
drivers/net/82596.c
drivers/net/ac3200.c
drivers/net/at1700.c
drivers/net/bagetlance.c
drivers/net/appletalk/cops.c
drivers/net/cs89x0.c
drivers/net/de620.c
drivers/net/depca.c
drivers/net/eepro.c
drivers/net/eexpress.c
drivers/net/es3210.c
drivers/net/eth16i.c
drivers/net/ethertap.c
drivers/net/fmv18x.c
drivers/net/hp.c
drivers/net/hp-plus.c
drivers/net/lance.c
drivers/net/lne390.c
drivers/net/appletalk/ltpc.c
drivers/net/ne.c
drivers/net/ne2.c
drivers/net/ne3210.c
drivers/net/ni5010.c
drivers/net/ni52.c
drivers/net/ni65.c
drivers/net/wan/sdla.c
drivers/net/seeq8005.c
drivers/net/smc-ultra32.c
drivers/net/smc-ultra.c
drivers/net/wd.c

I have patches out for test that make these dynamic:

drivers/net/appletalk/ipddp.c
net/bluetooth/bnep/core.c
net/irda/irlan/irlan_common.c

Obsolete?

drivers/net/sun3_82586.c
drivers/net/hamradio/dmascc.c
drivers/net/hamradio/mkiss.c
drivers/net/hamradio/6pack.c
drivers/net/sk_mca.c
drivers/net/smc-mca.c

======================================================================
Left to do:

Simple static to allocation conversion:
  These drivers define a static device or devices, and need
  to be converted to alloc_etherdev or alloc_netdev

drivers/net/isa-skeleton.c
drivers/net/apne.c
drivers/net/atari_bionet.c
drivers/net/atarilance.c
drivers/net/atari_pamsnet.c
drivers/net/de600.c
drivers/net/ibmlana.c
drivers/net/mac89x0.c
drivers/net/macsonic.c
drivers/net/smc9194.c
drivers/net/sun3lance.c

Convert array of devices to array of pointers:
  These drivers allocate one array of devices, and need to be
  changed to allocate an array of pointers, then allocate the devices.

drivers/net/meth.c
drivers/net/ne2k_cbus.c
drivers/media/dvb/dvb-core/dvb_net.c
drivers/net/hamradio/baycom_epp.c


Embedded 'net_device':
  These drivers embed net_device in another structure. If possible
  chain the allocations during alloc_netdev, then free the net_device
  after unregister.

drivers/char/synclink.c
drivers/char/synclinkmp.c
drivers/char/pcmcia/synclink_cs.c
drivers/isdn/i4l/isdn_net_lib.c
drivers/net/wan/sealevel.c
drivers/net/wan/hostess_sv11.c
drivers/net/wan/hdlc_generic.c
drivers/net/wireless/ray_cs.c
drivers/net/wireless/wavelan_cs.c
drivers/net/wireless/wl3501_cs.c
drivers/s390/net/qeth.c
drivers/usb/net/ax8817x.c
drivers/net/hamradio/hdlcdrv.c
drivers/net/wireless/strip.c

Re: [PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[David S. Miller]

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 12:18:00 -0700
Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@osdl.org> wrote:

> It should be trivial to maintain source compatiablity with 2.4
> which doesn't need to change since it doesn't have sysfs,
> by adding something like this to netdevice.h in 2.4
> 
> static __inline__ void free_netdev(struct net_device *dev) 
> {
> 	kfree(dev);
> }

Yes, but drivers that want to work with all 2.4.x trees
will need some kind of define to tip off of.  Just providing
a HAVE_FREE_NETDEV ought to be sufficient.

Jeff?

Re: [PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[Jeff Garzik]

David S. Miller wrote:
> Yes, but drivers that want to work with all 2.4.x trees
> will need some kind of define to tip off of.  Just providing
> a HAVE_FREE_NETDEV ought to be sufficient.
> 
> Jeff?


Yeah, that works for me.

	Jeff

Re: [PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[David S. Miller]

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:13:26 -0400
Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> wrote:

> David S. Miller wrote:
> > Yes, but drivers that want to work with all 2.4.x trees
> > will need some kind of define to tip off of.  Just providing
> > a HAVE_FREE_NETDEV ought to be sufficient.
> > 
> > Jeff?
> 
> Yeah, that works for me.

Ok, so what I'm going to do is apply all of Stephen's
patches and I'll add the HAVE_FREE_NETDEV define to
linux/netdevice.h

Re: [PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[Stephen Hemminger]

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 13:09:21 -0700
"David S. Miller" <davem@redhat.com> wrote:

> On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:13:26 -0400
> Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> wrote:
> 
> > David S. Miller wrote:
> > > Yes, but drivers that want to work with all 2.4.x trees
> > > will need some kind of define to tip off of.  Just providing
> > > a HAVE_FREE_NETDEV ought to be sufficient.
> > > 
> > > Jeff?
> > 
> > Yeah, that works for me.
> 
> Ok, so what I'm going to do is apply all of Stephen's
> patches and I'll add the HAVE_FREE_NETDEV define to
> linux/netdevice.h

Ok fine.

diff -Nru a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h	Tue Aug 19 13:28:03 2003
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h	Tue Aug 19 13:28:03 2003
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 
 #define HAVE_ALLOC_NETDEV		/* feature macro: alloc_xxxdev
 					   functions are available. */
+#define HAVE_FREE_NETDEV
 
 #define NET_XMIT_SUCCESS	0
 #define NET_XMIT_DROP		1	/* skb dropped			*/

Re: [PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[Jeff Garzik]

David,

Considering that these patches introduce only a tiny diff in the 
low-level net driver, and that the viro work is still pending, I'm ok 
with going ahead and applying these patches.

Since they mix net/* and drivers/net/*, I would actually prefer that you 
merge 100% of the patchset, once the patchset is ok with you.

Also, my tendency is to apply patches 1-8, and not apply patch 9 just 
yet.  Even though patch 9 is a fix, those specific areas of code, I'm 
betting, will change when those drivers are fixed WRT full dynamic 
allocation and refcounting.

Comments?

	Jeff

Re: [PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[David S. Miller]

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:24:27 -0400
Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> wrote:

> Also, my tendency is to apply patches 1-8, and not apply patch 9 just 
> yet.  Even though patch 9 is a fix, those specific areas of code, I'm 
> betting, will change when those drivers are fixed WRT full dynamic 
> allocation and refcounting.
> 
> Comments?

I disagree about patch 9.

These drivers already dynamically allocate their netdev
structs, so they do not require any more fixing.  I just
double checked each driver changes in patch 9 and to me
this is undoubtedly the case.

These are just pure bug fixes.

Re: [PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[Jeff Garzik]

David S. Miller wrote:
> On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:24:27 -0400
> Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>>Also, my tendency is to apply patches 1-8, and not apply patch 9 just 
>>yet.  Even though patch 9 is a fix, those specific areas of code, I'm 
>>betting, will change when those drivers are fixed WRT full dynamic 
>>allocation and refcounting.
>>
>>Comments?
> 
> 
> I disagree about patch 9.
> 
> These drivers already dynamically allocate their netdev
> structs, so they do not require any more fixing.  I just
> double checked each driver changes in patch 9 and to me
> this is undoubtedly the case.
> 
> These are just pure bug fixes.


Ok with me, then.

	Jeff

Re: [PATCH] (0/9) free_netdev -- delay freeing of net_device structure till after last use

[Stephen Hemminger]

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:24:27 -0400
Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> wrote:

> David,
> 
> Considering that these patches introduce only a tiny diff in the 
> low-level net driver, and that the viro work is still pending, I'm ok 
> with going ahead and applying these patches.
> 
> Since they mix net/* and drivers/net/*, I would actually prefer that you 
> merge 100% of the patchset, once the patchset is ok with you.

There was a tradeoff between what granularity of patchset. There is no
real dependency after the first two.


> Also, my tendency is to apply patches 1-8, and not apply patch 9 just 
> yet.  Even though patch 9 is a fix, those specific areas of code, I'm 
> betting, will change when those drivers are fixed WRT full dynamic 
> allocation and refcounting.
> 
> Comments?
> 
> 	Jeff
>
Yeah, that is why 9 is last, so it can be split or dropped or whatever.