Re: [PATCH v4 01/28] rust: alloc: add `Allocator` trait

[Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>]

On Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 5:20 PM Danilo Krummrich <dakr@kernel.org> wrote:
>
> Add a kernel specific `Allocator` trait, that in contrast to the one in
> Rust's core library doesn't require unstable features and supports GFP
> flags.
>
> Subsequent patches add the following trait implementors: `Kmalloc`,
> `Vmalloc` and `KVmalloc`.
>
> Signed-off-by: Danilo Krummrich <dakr@kernel.org>
> ---
>  rust/kernel/alloc.rs | 79 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 79 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/rust/kernel/alloc.rs b/rust/kernel/alloc.rs
> index 1966bd407017..8a71a589469d 100644
> --- a/rust/kernel/alloc.rs
> +++ b/rust/kernel/alloc.rs
> @@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
>  /// Indicates an allocation error.
>  #[derive(Copy, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Debug)]
>  pub struct AllocError;
> +use core::{alloc::Layout, ptr::NonNull};
>
>  /// Flags to be used when allocating memory.
>  ///
> @@ -86,3 +87,81 @@ pub mod flags {
>      /// small allocations.
>      pub const GFP_NOWAIT: Flags = Flags(bindings::GFP_NOWAIT);
>  }
> +
> +/// The kernel's [`Allocator`] trait.
> +///
> +/// An implementation of [`Allocator`] can allocate, re-allocate and free memory buffer described
> +/// via [`Layout`].
> +///
> +/// [`Allocator`] is designed to be implemented as a ZST; [`Allocator`] functions do not operate on
> +/// an object instance.
> +///
> +/// In order to be able to support `#[derive(SmartPointer)]` later on, we need to avoid a design
> +/// that requires an `Allocator` to be instantiated, hence its functions must not contain any kind
> +/// of `self` parameter.
> +///
> +/// # Safety
> +///
> +/// Memory returned from an allocator must point to a valid memory buffer and remain valid until
> +/// it is explicitly freed.
> +///
> +/// Any pointer to a memory buffer which is currently allocated must be valid to be passed to any
> +/// other [`Allocator`] function of the same type. The same applies for a NULL pointer.
> +///
> +/// If `realloc` is called with:
> +///   - a size of zero, the given memory allocation, if any, must be freed
> +///   - a NULL pointer, a new memory allocation must be created
> +pub unsafe trait Allocator {
> +    /// Allocate memory based on `layout` and `flags`.
> +    ///
> +    /// On success, returns a buffer represented as `NonNull<[u8]>` that satisfies the layout
> +    /// constraints (i.e. minimum size and alignment as specified by `layout`).
> +    ///
> +    /// This function is equivalent to `realloc` when called with a NULL pointer.
> +    fn alloc(layout: Layout, flags: Flags) -> Result<NonNull<[u8]>, AllocError> {
> +        // SAFETY: Passing a NULL pointer to `realloc` is valid by it's safety requirements and asks
> +        // for a new memory allocation.
> +        unsafe { Self::realloc(None, layout, flags) }
> +    }
> +
> +    /// Re-allocate an existing memory allocation to satisfy the requested `layout`. If the
> +    /// requested size is zero, `realloc` behaves equivalent to `free`.
> +    ///
> +    /// If the requested size is larger than the size of the existing allocation, a successful call
> +    /// to `realloc` guarantees that the new or grown buffer has at least `Layout::size` bytes, but
> +    /// may also be larger.
> +    ///
> +    /// If the requested size is smaller than the size of the existing allocation, `realloc` may or
> +    /// may not shrink the buffer; this is implementation specific to the allocator.
> +    ///
> +    /// On allocation failure, the existing buffer, if any, remains valid.
> +    ///
> +    /// The buffer is represented as `NonNull<[u8]>`.
> +    ///
> +    /// # Safety
> +    ///
> +    /// `Some(ptr)` must point to an existing and valid memory allocation created by this allocator
> +    /// instance. The alignment encoded in `layout` must be smaller than or equal to the alignment
> +    /// requested in the previous `alloc` or `realloc` call of the same allocation.
> +    ///
> +    /// Additionally, `ptr` is allowed to be `None`; in this case a new memory allocation is
> +    /// created.
> +    ///
> +    unsafe fn realloc(
> +        ptr: Option<NonNull<u8>>,
> +        layout: Layout,
> +        flags: Flags,
> +    ) -> Result<NonNull<[u8]>, AllocError>;
> +
> +    /// Free an existing memory allocation.
> +    ///
> +    /// # Safety
> +    ///
> +    /// `ptr` must point to an existing and valid memory allocation created by this `Allocator`
> +    /// instance.
> +    unsafe fn free(ptr: NonNull<u8>) {
> +        // SAFETY: `ptr` is guaranteed to be previously allocated with this `Allocator` or NULL.
> +        // Calling `realloc` with a buffer size of zero, frees the buffer `ptr` points to.

It can't actually be NULL since it's a NonNull. I would reword to:

// SAFETY: The caller guarantees that `ptr` points at a valid
allocation created by this allocator. We are passing a Layout with the
smallest possible alignment, so it is smaller than or equal to the
alignment previously used with this allocation.

Anyway, otherwise this LGTM.
Reviewed-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>

Alice