Re: [PATCH 06/16] mm: introduce the f_op->mmap_complete, mmap_abort hooks

David Hildenbrand
2025-09-09T09:26:29Z

On 09.09.25 11:13, Lorenzo Stoakes wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 08, 2025 at 05:27:37PM +0200, David Hildenbrand wrote:
>> On 08.09.25 13:10, Lorenzo Stoakes wrote:
>>> We have introduced the f_op->mmap_prepare hook to allow for setting up a
>>> VMA far earlier in the process of mapping memory, reducing problematic
>>> error handling paths, but this does not provide what all
>>> drivers/filesystems need.
>>>
>>> In order to supply this, and to be able to move forward with removing
>>> f_op->mmap altogether, introduce f_op->mmap_complete.
>>>
>>> This hook is called once the VMA is fully mapped and everything is done,
>>> however with the mmap write lock and VMA write locks held.
>>>
>>> The hook is then provided with a fully initialised VMA which it can do what
>>> it needs with, though the mmap and VMA write locks must remain held
>>> throughout.
>>>
>>> It is not intended that the VMA be modified at this point, attempts to do
>>> so will end in tears.
>>>
>>> This allows for operations such as pre-population typically via a remap, or
>>> really anything that requires access to the VMA once initialised.
>>>
>>> In addition, a caller may need to take a lock in mmap_prepare, when it is
>>> possible to modify the VMA, and release it on mmap_complete. In order to
>>> handle errors which may arise between the two operations, f_op->mmap_abort
>>> is provided.
>>>
>>> This hook should be used to drop any lock and clean up anything before the
>>> VMA mapping operation is aborted. After this point the VMA will not be
>>> added to any mapping and will not exist.
>>>
>>> We also add a new mmap_context field to the vm_area_desc type which can be
>>> used to pass information pertinent to any locks which are held or any state
>>> which is required for mmap_complete, abort to operate correctly.
>>>
>>> We also update the compatibility layer for nested filesystems which
>>> currently still only specify an f_op->mmap() handler so that it correctly
>>> invokes f_op->mmap_complete as necessary (note that no error can occur
>>> between mmap_prepare and mmap_complete so mmap_abort will never be called
>>> in this case).
>>>
>>> Also update the VMA tests to account for the changes.
>>>
>>> Signed-off-by: Lorenzo Stoakes <lorenzo.stoakes@oracle.com>
>>> ---
>>> include/linux/fs.h | 4 ++
>>> include/linux/mm_types.h | 5 ++
>>> mm/util.c | 18 +++++--
>>> mm/vma.c | 82 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
>>> tools/testing/vma/vma_internal.h | 31 ++++++++++--
>>> 5 files changed, 129 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
>>>
>>> diff --git a/include/linux/fs.h b/include/linux/fs.h
>>> index 594bd4d0521e..bb432924993a 100644
>>> --- a/include/linux/fs.h
>>> +++ b/include/linux/fs.h
>>> @@ -2195,6 +2195,10 @@ struct file_operations {
>>> int (*uring_cmd_iopoll)(struct io_uring_cmd *, struct io_comp_batch *,
>>> unsigned int poll_flags);
>>> int (*mmap_prepare)(struct vm_area_desc *);
>>> + int (*mmap_complete)(struct file *, struct vm_area_struct *,
>>> + const void *context);
>>> + void (*mmap_abort)(const struct file *, const void *vm_private_data,
>>> + const void *context);
>>
>> Do we have a description somewhere what these things do, when they are
>> called, and what a driver may be allowed to do with a VMA?
>
> Yeah there's a doc patch that follows this.

Yeah, spotted that afterwards.

>
>>
>> In particular, the mmap_complete() looks like another candidate for letting
>> a driver just go crazy on the vma? :)
>
> Well there's only so much we can do. In an ideal world we'd treat VMAs as
> entirely internal data structures and pass some sort of opaque thing around, but
> we have to keep things real here :)

Right, we'd pass something around that cannot be easily abused (like
modifying random vma flags in mmap_complete).

So I was wondering if most operations that driver would perform during
the mmap_complete() could be be abstracted, and only those then be
called with whatever opaque thing we return here.

But I have no feeling about what crazy things a driver might do. Just
calling remap_pfn_range() would be easy, for example, and we could
abstract that.

--
Cheers

David / dhildenb