netdev - Re: [RFC PATCH 1/4] splice: Fix corruption of spliced data after splice() returns

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Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:16:07 -0700
From: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
To: Matthew Wilcox <willy@...radead.org>
Cc: Miklos Szeredi <miklos@...redi.hu>, Matt Whitlock <kernel@...twhitlock.name>, 
	David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>, netdev@...r.kernel.org, 
	Dave Chinner <david@...morbit.com>, Jens Axboe <axboe@...nel.dk>, linux-fsdevel@...ck.org, 
	linux-mm@...ck.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, 
	Christoph Hellwig <hch@....de>, linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 1/4] splice: Fix corruption of spliced data after
 splice() returns

On Wed, 19 Jul 2023 at 12:44, Matthew Wilcox <willy@...radead.org> wrote:
>
> So what's the API that provides the semantics of _copying_?

It's called "read()" and "write()".

Seriously.

The *ONLY* reason for splice() existing is for zero-copy. If you don't
want zero-copy (aka "copy by reference"), don't use splice.

Stop arguing against it. If you don't want zero-copy, you use read()
and write(). It really is that simple.

And no, we don't start some kind of crazy "versioned zero-copy with
COW". That's a fundamental mistake. It's a mistake that has been done
- several times - and made perhaps most famous by Hurd, that made that
a big thing.

And yes, this has been documented *forever*. It may not have been
documented on the first line, because IT WAS SO OBVIOUS. The whole
reason splice() is fast is because it avoids the actual copy, and does
a copy-by-reference.

That's still a copy. But a copy-by-reference is a special thing. If
you don't know what copy-by-reference is, or don't want it, don't use
splice().

I don't know how many different ways I can say the same thing.

IF YOU DON'T WANT ZERO-COPY, DON'T USE SPLICE.

IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COPY-BY-VALUE AND
COPY-BY-REFERENCE, DON'T USE SPLICE.

IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE *POINT* OF SPLICE, DON'T USE SPLICE.

It's kind of a bit like pointers in C: if you don't understand
pointers but use them anyway, you're going to have a hard time. That's
not the fault of the pointers. Pointers are very very powerful. But if
you are used to languages that only do copy-by-value, you are going to
think they are bad things.

                  Linus