linux-kernel - Re: Deprecating and removing SLOB

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Date:   Wed, 9 Nov 2022 13:39:12 -0800
From:   Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
To:     Paul Cercueil <paul@...pouillou.net>
Cc:     vbabka@...e.cz, 42.hyeyoo@...il.com, akpm@...ux-foundation.org,
        catalin.marinas@....com, cl@...ux.com, iamjoonsoo.kim@....com,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, linux-mm@...ck.org,
        penberg@...nel.org, rientjes@...gle.com, rkovhaev@...il.com,
        roman.gushchin@...ux.dev, willy@...radead.org
Subject: Re: Deprecating and removing SLOB

On Wed, Nov 9, 2022 at 12:56 PM Paul Cercueil <paul@...pouillou.net> wrote:
>
> It worked fine on some boards, but on others it had about a 25% chance
> of booting, and 75% chance of hanging at boot. I tried printk-debugging
> it, and was coming to the conclusion that it's memory corruption of
> some sort.
>
> Then I switched to SLUB and all the problems are gone. Same with SLAB.
>
> So while I can't say for sure that SLOB is broken (it might be
> triggering a bug somewhere else), I am highly suspicious that it is.

I have this distinct memory of having seen other reports like this,
but my google-fu is not strong enough to back that up.

There definitely has been recurring noise about SLOB issues. There's a
reason people have wanted to remove it for years and years.

             Linus