linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 1/3] sysfs: Fix crash on empty group attributes array

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Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2024 14:33:24 -0700
From: Dan Williams <dan.j.williams@...el.com>
To: Lukas Wunner <lukas@...ner.de>, Dan Williams <dan.j.williams@...el.com>
CC: <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>, Pierre-Louis Bossart
	<pierre-louis.bossart@...ux.intel.com>, Marc Herbert
	<marc.herbert@...el.com>, "Rafael J. Wysocki" <rafael@...nel.org>,
	<linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, <linux-pci@...r.kernel.org>,
	<linux-coco@...ts.linux.dev>, <alsa-devel@...a-project.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/3] sysfs: Fix crash on empty group attributes array

Lukas Wunner wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 27, 2024 at 09:49:41AM -0700, Dan Williams wrote:
> > Lukas Wunner wrote:
> > > But I want to raise awareness that the inability to hide
> > > empty attribute groups feels awkward.
> > 
> > That is fair, it was definitely some gymnastics to only change user
> > visible behavior for new "invisible aware" attribute groups that opt-in
> > while leaving all the legacy cases alone.
> > 
> > The concern is knowing when it is ok to call an is_visible() callback
> > with a NULL @attr argument, or knowing when an empty array actually
> > means "hide the group directory".
> > 
> > We could add a sentinel value to indicate "I am an empty attribute list
> > *AND* I want my directory hidden by default". However, that's almost
> > identical to requiring a placeholder attribute in the list just to make
> > __first_visible() happy.
> > 
> > Other ideas?
> 
> Perhaps an optional ->is_group_visible() callback in struct attribute_group
> which gets passed only the struct kobject pointer?
> 
> At least for PCI device authentication, that would be sufficient.
> I could get from the kobject to the corresponding struct device,
> then determine whether the device supports authentication or not.
> 
> Because it's a new, optional callback, there should be no compatibility
> issues.  The SYSFS_GROUP_INVISIBLE return code from the ->is_visible()
> call for individual attributes would not be needed then, at least in my
> use case.

That's where I started with this, but decided it was overkill to
increase the size of that data structure globally for a small number of
use cases.