linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v9 08/12] mm: zero reserved and unavailable struct pages

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Date:   Wed, 4 Oct 2017 16:04:10 +0200
From:   Michal Hocko <mhocko@...nel.org>
To:     Pasha Tatashin <pasha.tatashin@...cle.com>
Cc:     linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, sparclinux@...r.kernel.org,
        linux-mm@...ck.org, linuxppc-dev@...ts.ozlabs.org,
        linux-s390@...r.kernel.org, linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org,
        x86@...nel.org, kasan-dev@...glegroups.com, borntraeger@...ibm.com,
        heiko.carstens@...ibm.com, davem@...emloft.net,
        willy@...radead.org, ard.biesheuvel@...aro.org,
        mark.rutland@....com, will.deacon@....com, catalin.marinas@....com,
        sam@...nborg.org, mgorman@...hsingularity.net,
        steven.sistare@...cle.com, daniel.m.jordan@...cle.com,
        bob.picco@...cle.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH v9 08/12] mm: zero reserved and unavailable struct pages

On Wed 04-10-17 09:28:55, Pasha Tatashin wrote:
> 
> > I am not really familiar with the trim_low_memory_range code path. I am
> > not even sure we have to care about it because nobody should be walking
> > pfns outside of any zone.
> 
> According to commit comments first 4K belongs to BIOS, so I think the memory
> exists but BIOS may or may not report it to Linux. So, reserve it to make
> sure we never touch it.

Yes and that memory should be outside of any zones, no?

> > I am worried that this patch adds a code which
> > is not really used and it will just stay that way for ever because
> > nobody will dare to change it as it is too obscure and not explained
> > very well.
> 
> I could explain mine code better. Perhaps add more comments, and explain
> when it can be removed?

More explanation would be definitely helpful

> > trim_low_memory_range is a good example of this. Why do we
> > even reserve this range from the memory block allocator? The memory
> > shouldn't be backed by any real memory and thus not in the allocator in
> > the first place, no?
> > 
> 
> Since it is not enforced in memblock that everything in reserved list must
> be part of memory list, we can have it, and we need to make sure kernel does
> not panic. Otherwise, it is very hard to detect such bugs.

So, should we report such a memblock reservation API (ab)use to the log?
Are you actually sure that trim_low_memory_range is doing a sane and
really needed thing? In other words do we have a zone which contains
this no-memory backed pfns?

-- 
Michal Hocko
SUSE Labs