linux-kernel - Re: [RFC PATCH 0/2] kpatch: dynamic kernel patching

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Date:	Sun, 15 Jun 2014 08:57:31 +0200
From:	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>
To:	Pavel Machek <pavel@....cz>
Cc:	David Lang <david@...g.hm>, Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@...hat.com>,
	Frederic Weisbecker <fweisbec@...il.com>,
	Seth Jennings <sjenning@...hat.com>,
	Masami Hiramatsu <masami.hiramatsu.pt@...achi.com>,
	Steven Rostedt <rostedt@...dmis.org>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...hat.com>, Jiri Slaby <jslaby@...e.cz>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Peter Zijlstra <a.p.zijlstra@...llo.nl>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 0/2] kpatch: dynamic kernel patching


* Pavel Machek <pavel@....cz> wrote:

> Hi!
> 
> > > in terms of hit-patching kernels you are correct.
> > > 
> > > but that's a far cry from what it sounded like you were demanding 
> > > (that it must handle any kernel patch)
> > 
> > No, I was not demanding that at all, my suggestion was:
> > 
> >    > My claim is that if a patch is correct/safe in the old fashioned 
> >    > way, then a fundamental principle is that a live patching 
> >    > subsystem must either safely apply, or safely reject the live 
> >    > patching attempt, independently from any user input.
> > 
> > Note the 'if'. It could start simple and stupid, and only allow 
> > cases where we know the patch must be trivially safe (because it 
> > does not do much in terms of disturbing globally visible state). 
> > That needs some tooling help, but apparently tooling help is in 
> > place already.
> 
> Actually, even if patch is very trivial, it will be difficult to 
> determine if it is safe. Consider adding error check:
> 
> int
> do_something(void)
> {
> #if 0
>   if (1)
>     return -1;
> #endif
>   return 0;
> }
> 
> void
> main(void)
> {
>   if (do_something())
>     printf("error happened\n");
> }
> 
> Imagine changing that #if 0 to #if 1. But gcc at -O3 already 
> optimized out the error message. So... do we compile whole second 
> kernel and compare the binaries? I think I seen remark "don't try to 
> do binary compares" somewhere...

Fair enough.

Thanks,

	Ingo
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