linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 26/34] mm: implement new mprotect

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Date:	Wed, 9 Dec 2015 09:05:06 -0800
From:	Dave Hansen <dave@...1.net>
To:	mtk.manpages@...il.com
Cc:	lkml <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-mm@...ck.org" <linux-mm@...ck.org>,
	"x86@...nel.org" <x86@...nel.org>, dave.hansen@...ux.intel.com,
	Linux API <linux-api@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 26/34] mm: implement new mprotect_key() system call

On 12/09/2015 08:45 AM, Michael Kerrisk (man-pages) wrote:
>>> >> * Explanation of what a protection domain is.
>> >
>> > A protection domain is a unique view of memory and is represented by the
>> > value in the PKRU register.
> Out something about this in pkey(7), but explain what you mean by a
> "unique view of memory".

Let's say there are only two protection keys: 0 and 1.  There are two
disable bits per protection key (Access and Write Disable), so a two-key
PKRU looks like:

|   PKEY0   |   PKEY1   |
| AD0 | WD0 | AD1 | WD1 |

In this example, there are 16 possible protection domains, one for each
possible combination of the 4 rights-disable bits.

"Changing a protection domain" would mean changing (setting or clearing)
the value of any of those 4 bits.  Each unique value of PKRU represents
a view of memory, or unique protection domain.
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