Re: [PATCH v2 1/3] mm: introduce new .mmap_prepare() file callback

[Vlastimil Babka <vbabka@suse.cz>]

On 5/9/25 14:13, Lorenzo Stoakes wrote:
> Provide a means by which drivers can specify which fields of those
> permitted to be changed should be altered to prior to mmap()'ing a
> range (which may either result from a merge or from mapping an entirely new
> VMA).
> 
> Doing so is substantially safer than the existing .mmap() calback which
> provides unrestricted access to the part-constructed VMA and permits
> drivers and file systems to do 'creative' things which makes it hard to
> reason about the state of the VMA after the function returns.
> 
> The existing .mmap() callback's freedom has caused a great deal of issues,
> especially in error handling, as unwinding the mmap() state has proven to
> be non-trivial and caused significant issues in the past, for instance
> those addressed in commit 5de195060b2e ("mm: resolve faulty mmap_region()
> error path behaviour").
> 
> It also necessitates a second attempt at merge once the .mmap() callback
> has completed, which has caused issues in the past, is awkward, adds
> overhead and is difficult to reason about.
> 
> The .mmap_prepare() callback eliminates this requirement, as we can update
> fields prior to even attempting the first merge. It is safer, as we heavily
> restrict what can actually be modified, and being invoked very early in the
> mmap() process, error handling can be performed safely with very little
> unwinding of state required.
> 
> The .mmap_prepare() and deprecated .mmap() callbacks are mutually
> exclusive, so we permit only one to be invoked at a time.
> 
> Update vma userland test stubs to account for changes.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Lorenzo Stoakes <lorenzo.stoakes@oracle.com>

Reviewed-by: Vlastimil Babka <vbabka@suse.cz>