linux-kernel - Re: [RFD driver-core] Lifetime problems of the current driver model

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Message-ID: <460DD1B0.4080605@gmail.com>
Date:	Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:12:48 +0900
From:	Tejun Heo <htejun@...il.com>
To:	Cornelia Huck <cornelia.huck@...ibm.com>
CC:	gregkh@...e.de, hugh@...itas.com, dmitry.torokhov@...il.com,
	oneukum@...e.de, maneesh@...ibm.com, rpurdie@...ys.net,
	James.Bottomley@...elEye.com, Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@...ox.com>,
	lkml <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-ide@...r.kernel.org" <linux-ide@...r.kernel.org>,
	SCSI Mailing List <linux-scsi@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [RFD driver-core] Lifetime problems of the current driver model

Cornelia Huck wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:08:19 +0900,
> Tejun Heo <htejun@...il.com> wrote:
> 
>> (3) make sure all existing kobjects are released by module exit function.
>>
>> For example, let's say there is a hypothetical disk device /dev/dk0
>> driven by a hypothetical driver mydrv.  /dev/dk0 is represented like the
>> following in the sysfs tree.
>>
>> /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.0/dk0/{myknob0,myknob1}
>>
>> Owner of both attrs myknob0 and myknob1 is mydrv and opening either
>> increases the reference counts of dk0 and mydrv and closing does the
>> opposite.
>>
>> * When there is no opener of either knob and the /dev/dk0 isn't used by
>> anyone.  Reference count of dk0 is 1, mydrv 0.
> 
> Hm, but as long as dk0 is registered, it can be looked up and someone
> could get a reference on it.

Yeah, exactly.  That's why any getting any kobject reference backed by a
module must be accompanied by try_module_get().

int mydrv_get_dk(struct dk *dk)
{
	rc = try_module_get(mydrv);
	if (rc)
		return rc;
	kobject_get(&dk->kobj);
	return 0;
}

>> * User issues rmmod mydrv.  As mydrv's reference count is zero, unload
>> proceeds and mydrv's exit function is called.
>>
>> * mydrv's exit function looks like the following.
>>
>>   mydrv_exit()
>>   {
>> 	sysfs_remove_file(dk0, myknob0);
>> 	sysfs_remove_file(dk1, myknob1);
>> 	device_del(dk0);
>> 	deinit controller;
>> 	release all resources;
>>   }
>>
>> The device_del(dk0) drops dk0's reference count to zero and its
>> ->release is invoked immediately.
> 
> And here is the problem if someone else still has a reference. The
> module will be unloaded, but ->release will not be called until the
> "someone else" gives up the reference...

Exactly, in that case, module reference count must not be zero.  You and
I are saying the same thing.  Why are we running in circle?

-- 
tejun
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