linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] livepatch: introduce shadow variable API

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Message-ID: <alpine.LSU.2.20.1707192048460.15946@pobox.suse.cz>
Date:   Wed, 19 Jul 2017 20:50:14 +0200 (CEST)
From:   Miroslav Benes <mbenes@...e.cz>
To:     Petr Mladek <pmladek@...e.com>
cc:     Joe Lawrence <joe.lawrence@...hat.com>,
        Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@...hat.com>,
        live-patching@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
        Jessica Yu <jeyu@...hat.com>, Jiri Kosina <jikos@...nel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] livepatch: introduce shadow variable API

On Wed, 19 Jul 2017, Petr Mladek wrote:

> On Tue 2017-07-18 15:36:27, Joe Lawrence wrote:
> > Who knew naming things was so difficult :)
> > 
> > There's been a bunch of feedback on terminology, so I'll just issue a
> > collective reply to Petr's last msg on the topic.  These were my
> > thoughts on naming clarification:
> > 
> >   v1,v2                                     v3
> >   --------------------------------------------------------------
> >   obj, original data                        obj, parent object
> >   num, numerical description of new data    id, data identifier
> >   new_data                                  data
> >   new_size                                  data_size
> 
> IMHO, "size" might be enough in the context when it is used.

I agree.

> > 
> > Miroslav also suggested additional text explaining the id / data
> > identifier field.  How about something like this:
> > 
> > ---
> > 
> > ================
> > Shadow Variables
> > ================
> > 
> > ...
> > 
> > A global, in-kernel hashtable associates parent pointers and a numeric
> > identifier with shadow variable data.
> 
> I would slightly reformulate the above sentece:
> 
> A global, in-kernel hashtable associates pointers to parent objects
> and a numeric identifier of the shadow data.
> 
> > Specifically, the parent pointer
> > serves as the hashtable key, while the numeric id further filters
> > hashtable queries.  The numeric identifier is a simple enumeration that
> > may be used to describe shadow variable versions (for stacking
> > livepatches), class or type (for multiple shadow variables per parent),
> > etc.  Multiple shadow variables may attach to the same parent object,
> > but their numeric identifier distinguises between them.

s/distinguises/distinguishes/
 
> Sounds good to me.

Yes, thanks for the paragraph. It sounds good combined with Petr's 
proposal.

Miroslav