linux-kernel - Re: [patch 05/11] syslets: core code

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Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0702181223120.27404@alien.or.mcafeemobile.com>
Date:	Sun, 18 Feb 2007 12:37:22 -0800 (PST)
From:	Davide Libenzi <davidel@...ilserver.org>
To:	Pavel Machek <pavel@....cz>
cc:	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>, Alan <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...radead.org>,
	Christoph Hellwig <hch@...radead.org>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@....com.au>,
	Ulrich Drepper <drepper@...hat.com>,
	Zach Brown <zach.brown@...cle.com>,
	Evgeniy Polyakov <johnpol@....mipt.ru>,
	"David S. Miller" <davem@...emloft.net>,
	Benjamin LaHaise <bcrl@...ck.org>,
	Suparna Bhattacharya <suparna@...ibm.com>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>
Subject: Re: [patch 05/11] syslets: core code

On Sun, 18 Feb 2007, Pavel Machek wrote:

> > > The upcall will setup a frame, execute the clet (where jump/conditions and 
> > > userspace variable changes happen in machine code - gcc is pretty good in 
> > > taking care of that for us) on its return, come back through a 
> > > sys_async_return, and go back to userspace.
> > 
> > So, for example, this is the setup code for the current API (and that's a 
> > really simple one - immagine going wacko with loops and userspace varaible 
> > changes):
> > 
> > 
> > static struct req *alloc_req(void)
> > {
> >         /*
> >          * Constants can be picked up by syslets via static variables:
> >          */
> >         static long O_RDONLY_var = O_RDONLY;
> >         static long FILE_BUF_SIZE_var = FILE_BUF_SIZE;
> >                 
> >         struct req *req;
> >                  
> >         if (freelist) {
> >                 req = freelist;
> >                 freelist = freelist->next_free;
> >                 req->next_free = NULL;
> >                 return req;
> >         }
> >                         
> >         req = calloc(1, sizeof(struct req));
> >  
> >         /*
> >          * This is the first atom in the syslet, it opens the file:
> >          *
> >          *  req->fd = open(req->filename, O_RDONLY);
> >          *
> >          * It is linked to the next read() atom.
> >          */
> >         req->filename_p = req->filename;
> >         init_atom(req, &req->open_file, __NR_sys_open,
> >                   &req->filename_p, &O_RDONLY_var, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
> >                   &req->fd, SYSLET_STOP_ON_NEGATIVE, &req->read_file);
> >         
> >         /*
> >          * This second read() atom is linked back to itself, it skips to
> >          * the next one on stop:
> >          */
> >         req->file_buf_ptr = req->file_buf;
> >         init_atom(req, &req->read_file, __NR_sys_read,
> >                   &req->fd, &req->file_buf_ptr, &FILE_BUF_SIZE_var,
> >                   NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
> >                   SYSLET_STOP_ON_NON_POSITIVE | SYSLET_SKIP_TO_NEXT_ON_STOP,
> >                   &req->read_file);
> >                 
> >         /*
> >          * This close() atom has NULL as next, this finishes the syslet:
> >          */
> >         init_atom(req, &req->close_file, __NR_sys_close,
> >                   &req->fd, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL);
> >                 
> >         return req;
> > }
> > 
> > 
> > Here's how your clet would look like:
> > 
> > static long main_sync_loop(ctx *c)
> > {
> >         int fd;
> >         char file_buf[FILE_BUF_SIZE+1];
> >         
> >         if ((fd = open(c->filename, O_RDONLY)) == -1)
> >                 return -1;
> >         while (read(fd, file_buf, FILE_BUF_SIZE) > 0)
> >                 ;
> >         close(fd);
> >         return 0;
> > }
> > 
> > 
> > Kinda easier to code isn't it? And the cost of the upcall to schedule the 
> > clet is widely amortized by the multple syscalls you're going to do inside 
> > your clet.
> 
> I do not get it. What if clet includes
> 
> int *a = 0; *a = 1; /* enjoy your oops, stupid kernel? */
> 
> I.e. how do you make sure kernel is protected from malicious clets?

Clets would execute in userspace, like signal handlers, but under the 
special schedule() handler. In that way chains happens by the mean of 
natural C code, and access to userspace variables happen by the mean of 
natural C code too (not with special syscalls to manipulate userspace 
memory). I'm not a big fan of chains of syscalls for the reasons I 
already explained, but at least clets (or whatever name) has a way lower 
cost for the programmer (easier to code than atom chains), and for the 
kernel (no need of all that atom handling stuff, no need of limited 
cond/jump interpreters in the kernel, and no need of nightmare compat 
code).



- Davide


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