linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 3/9] iov_iter: refactor rw_copy_check_uvector and import

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Date:   Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:49:17 +0100
From:   Al Viro <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>
To:     David Laight <David.Laight@...lab.com>
Cc:     Christoph Hellwig <hch@....de>,
        Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Jens Axboe <axboe@...nel.dk>, Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>,
        David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>,
        "linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org" 
        <linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-mips@...r.kernel.org" <linux-mips@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-parisc@...r.kernel.org" <linux-parisc@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linuxppc-dev@...ts.ozlabs.org" <linuxppc-dev@...ts.ozlabs.org>,
        "linux-s390@...r.kernel.org" <linux-s390@...r.kernel.org>,
        "sparclinux@...r.kernel.org" <sparclinux@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-block@...r.kernel.org" <linux-block@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-scsi@...r.kernel.org" <linux-scsi@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-aio@...ck.org" <linux-aio@...ck.org>,
        "io-uring@...r.kernel.org" <io-uring@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-arch@...r.kernel.org" <linux-arch@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-mm@...ck.org" <linux-mm@...ck.org>,
        "netdev@...r.kernel.org" <netdev@...r.kernel.org>,
        "keyrings@...r.kernel.org" <keyrings@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org" 
        <linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org>,
        Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 3/9] iov_iter: refactor rw_copy_check_uvector and
 import_iovec

On Wed, Sep 23, 2020 at 02:38:24PM +0000, David Laight wrote:
> From: Al Viro
> > Sent: 23 September 2020 15:17
> > 
> > On Wed, Sep 23, 2020 at 08:05:41AM +0200, Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> > 
> > > +struct iovec *iovec_from_user(const struct iovec __user *uvec,
> > > +		unsigned long nr_segs, unsigned long fast_segs,
> > 
> > Hmm...  For fast_segs unsigned long had always been ridiculous
> > (4G struct iovec on caller stack frame?), but that got me wondering about
> > nr_segs and I wish I'd thought of that when introducing import_iovec().
> > 
> > The thing is, import_iovec() takes unsigned int there.  Which is fine
> > (hell, the maximal value that can be accepted in 1024), except that
> > we do pass unsigned long syscall argument to it in some places.
> 
> It will make diddly-squit difference.
> The parameters end up in registers on most calling conventions.
> Plausibly you get an extra 'REX' byte on x86 for the 64bit value.
> What you want to avoid is explicit sign/zero extension and value
> masking after arithmetic.

Don't tell me what I want; your telepathic abilities are consistently sucky.

I am *NOT* talking about microoptimization here.  I have described
the behaviour change of syscall caused by commit 5 years ago.  Which is
generally considered a problem.  Then I asked whether that behaviour
change would fall under the "if nobody noticed, it's not a userland ABI
breakage" exception.

Could you show me the point where I have expressed concerns about
the quality of amd64 code generated for that thing, before or after
the change in question?