linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH -v3 0/7] x86: Use BRK to pre mapping page table to make xen happy

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Date:	Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:43:40 -0700
From:	Yinghai Lu <yinghai@...nel.org>
To:	Stefano Stabellini <stefano.stabellini@...citrix.com>
Cc:	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>, Ingo Molnar <mingo@...e.hu>,
	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>, Jacob Shin <jacob.shin@....com>,
	Tejun Heo <tj@...nel.org>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH -v3 0/7] x86: Use BRK to pre mapping page table to make
 xen happy

On Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 9:17 AM, Stefano Stabellini
<stefano.stabellini@...citrix.com> wrote:
>
> I find that patch series are easier to review than having to checkout
> your code and read the commit messages. Please post your patch series to
> the LKML next time.

ok, will post -v5 to the list.

>
> In any case, regarding "x86, xen: Add xen_mapping_mark_page_ro": please
> take Peter's feedback into account; mark_page_ro is not a good name for
> a pvops.
> Also I don't believe that this call is actually needed, see below.
>
> Regarding "x86, mm: setup page table in top-down": if you mark the
> pagetable page RO in alloc_low_page, won't the entire thing crash as
> soon as you try to write to it? You are supposed to mark it RO after
> filling up the pagetable page and before hooking it into the live
> pagetable.
> However contrary to my expectations, I did a quick test and it seems to
> be working, that is probably due to a bug: maybe __pa or lookup_address
> don't work correctly when called so early?
>
> In any case we don't care about that because if we assume that
> alloc_low_pages will always return a page from a range that is already
> mapped, then we do not need this pvop anymore. That's because
> xen_alloc_pte_init, xen_alloc_pmd_init, etc, will mark the page RO
> before hooking it into the pagetable automatically.
> Sorry for I misled you last time.

yeah, I was confused how xen could RO page for page table.

>
> Let me repeat it again:
> Can we assume that the page returned by alloc_low_pages is already mapped?
>
> Yes? In that case let's get rid of mark_page_ro and everything should
> work.

yes, removed.

>
> It is worth stating it in clear letters in a comment on top of
> alloc_low_pages:
>
> "This function always returns a page from a memory range already
> mapped."

actually alloc_...  should be always return mapped.

Thanks

Yinghai
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