linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v4 14/15] livepatch: add /proc/<pid>/patch

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Date:   Tue, 31 Jan 2017 08:56:54 -0600
From:   Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@...hat.com>
To:     Miroslav Benes <mbenes@...e.cz>
Cc:     Jessica Yu <jeyu@...hat.com>, Jiri Kosina <jikos@...nel.org>,
        Petr Mladek <pmladek@...e.com>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        live-patching@...r.kernel.org,
        Michael Ellerman <mpe@...erman.id.au>,
        Heiko Carstens <heiko.carstens@...ibm.com>, x86@...nel.org,
        linuxppc-dev@...ts.ozlabs.org, linux-s390@...r.kernel.org,
        Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech@...e.com>, Jiri Slaby <jslaby@...e.cz>,
        Chris J Arges <chris.j.arges@...onical.com>,
        Andy Lutomirski <luto@...nel.org>,
        Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>,
        Peter Zijlstra <peterz@...radead.org>,
        Kamalesh Babulal <kamalesh@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
        Balbir Singh <bsingharora@...il.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v4 14/15] livepatch: add /proc/<pid>/patch_state

On Tue, Jan 31, 2017 at 03:31:39PM +0100, Miroslav Benes wrote:
> On Thu, 19 Jan 2017, Josh Poimboeuf wrote:
> 
> > Expose the per-task patch state value so users can determine which tasks
> > are holding up completion of a patching operation.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@...hat.com>
> > Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek <pmladek@...e.com>
> > Reviewed-by: Miroslav Benes <mbenes@...e.cz>
> > ---
> >  Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt | 18 ++++++++++++++++++
> >  fs/proc/base.c                     | 15 +++++++++++++++
> >  2 files changed, 33 insertions(+)
> > 
> > diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt
> > index 72624a1..85c501b 100644
> > --- a/Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt
> > +++ b/Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt
> > @@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ Table of Contents
> >    3.8   /proc/<pid>/fdinfo/<fd> - Information about opened file
> >    3.9   /proc/<pid>/map_files - Information about memory mapped files
> >    3.10  /proc/<pid>/timerslack_ns - Task timerslack value
> > +  3.11	/proc/<pid>/patch_state - Livepatch patch operation state
> >  
> >    4	Configuring procfs
> >    4.1	Mount options
> > @@ -1886,6 +1887,23 @@ Valid values are from 0 - ULLONG_MAX
> >  An application setting the value must have PTRACE_MODE_ATTACH_FSCREDS level
> >  permissions on the task specified to change its timerslack_ns value.
> >  
> > +3.11	/proc/<pid>/patch_state - Livepatch patch operation state
> > +-----------------------------------------------------------------
> > +When CONFIG_LIVEPATCH is enabled, this file displays the value of the
> > +patch state for the task.
> > +
> > +A value of '-1' indicates that no patch is in transition.
> > +
> > +A value of '0' indicates that a patch is in transition and the task is
> > +unpatched.  If the patch is being enabled, then the task hasn't been
> > +patched yet.  If the patch is being disabled, then the task has already
> > +been unpatched.
> > +
> > +A value of '1' indicates that a patch is in transition and the task is
> > +patched.  If the patch is being enabled, then the task has already been
> > +patched.  If the patch is being disabled, then the task hasn't been
> > +unpatched yet.
> > +
> 
> Despite my review I thought about this some more. I think the logic make 
> sense internally but when exposed it can be confusing. We do not export 
> klp_target_state value, so users have to know if a patch is being enabled 
> or disabled. Of course, they should know that, but I guess they'd like to 
> use an userspace tool for this. Such tool needs to look at 
> /proc/<pid>/patch_state to find out which tasks are blocking the 
> completion and that is it. No more information anywhere.
> 
> We can either export klp_target_state, or change /proc/<pid>/patch_state 
> to show only two states - task is in transition (1), task is patched (0).
> 
> What do you think?

Isn't this information already available in
/sys/kernel/livepatch/<patch>/{enabled,transition}?

-- 
Josh