linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 1/3] x86/boot: Add bit fields into xloadflags for 5-level kernel checking

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Date:   Tue, 4 Sep 2018 21:06:07 -0700
From:   "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:     "Kirill A. Shutemov" <kirill@...temov.name>
Cc:     Baoquan He <bhe@...hat.com>, x86@...nel.org,
        kexec@...ts.infradead.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        tglx@...utronix.de, mingo@...nel.org,
        kirill.shutemov@...ux.intel.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/3] x86/boot: Add bit fields into xloadflags for 5-level
 kernel checking

On 09/04/18 01:42, Kirill A. Shutemov wrote:
> 
> Switching between 4- and 5-level paging modes (in either direction)
> requires paing disabling. It means the code that does the switching has to
> be under 4G otherwise we would lose control.
> 
> We handle the switching correctly in kernel decompression code, but not on
> kexec caller side.
> 
> XLF_5LEVEL indicates that kernel decompression code can deal with
> switching between paging modes and it's safe to jump there in 5-level
> paging mode.
> 
> As an alternative we can change kexec to switch to 4-level paging mode
> before starting the new kernel. Not sure how hard it will be.
> 

Have a flag saying entering in 5-level mode is fine.  However, you really
should support returning to 4-level mode in kexec.  It is *much* easier to do
on the caller side as you have total control of memory allocation there.

	-hpa