linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH prototype] [0/8] Predictive bitmaps for ELF executables

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Message-Id: <20080318104437.966c10ec.akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Date:	Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:44:37 -0700
From:	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
To:	Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, linux-mm@...ck.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH prototype] [0/8] Predictive bitmaps for ELF executables

On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:20:45 +0100 Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org> wrote:

> > What's the permission problem?  executable-but-not-readable files?  Could
> 
> Not writable. 

Oh.

I doubt if a userspace implementation would even try to alter the ELF
files, really - there seems to be no point in it.   This is just complexity
which was added by trying to do it in the kernel.

> > be handled by passing your request to a suitable-privileged server process,
> > I guess.
> 
> Yes it could, but i dont even want to thi nk about all the issues of
> doing such an interface. It is basically an microkernelish approach.
> I prefer monolithic simplicity.

It's not complex at all.  Pass a null-terminated pathname to the server and
keep running.  The server will asynchronously read your pages for you.

That's assuming executable+unreadable libraries and binaries actually need
to be handled.  If not: no server needed.

> e.g. i am pretty sure your user space implementation would be far
> more complicated than a nicely streamlined kernel implementation. 
> And I am really not a friend of unnecessary complexity. In the end
> complexity hurts you, no matter if it is in ring 3 or ring 0.

There is no complexity here.
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