linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v11 1/8] mm: rust: add abstraction for struct mm

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Message-ID: <275ab6d2-3db3-4d2c-80b0-1ece4fd6fba1@nvidia.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2025 17:54:15 -0800
From: John Hubbard <jhubbard@...dia.com>
To: Lorenzo Stoakes <lorenzo.stoakes@...cle.com>, Alice Ryhl
	<aliceryhl@...gle.com>
CC: Andreas Hindborg <a.hindborg@...nel.org>, Miguel Ojeda <ojeda@...nel.org>,
	Matthew Wilcox <willy@...radead.org>, Vlastimil Babka <vbabka@...e.cz>, "Liam
 R. Howlett" <Liam.Howlett@...cle.com>, Andrew Morton
	<akpm@...ux-foundation.org>, Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
	Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>, Christian Brauner <brauner@...nel.org>, "Jann
 Horn" <jannh@...gle.com>, Suren Baghdasaryan <surenb@...gle.com>, Alex Gaynor
	<alex.gaynor@...il.com>, Boqun Feng <boqun.feng@...il.com>, Gary Guo
	<gary@...yguo.net>, Björn Roy Baron
	<bjorn3_gh@...tonmail.com>, Benno Lossin <benno.lossin@...ton.me>, "Trevor
 Gross" <tmgross@...ch.edu>, <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	<linux-mm@...ck.org>, <rust-for-linux@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v11 1/8] mm: rust: add abstraction for struct mm_struct

On 1/14/25 7:48 AM, Lorenzo Stoakes wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 13, 2025 at 10:53:33AM +0100, Alice Ryhl wrote:
>> On Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 3:50 PM Andreas Hindborg <a.hindborg@...nel.org> wrote:
>>> "Alice Ryhl" <aliceryhl@...gle.com> writes:
...
>>>> +/// [`mmget_not_zero`]: Mm::mmget_not_zero
>>>> +#[repr(transparent)]
>>>> +pub struct Mm {
>>>
>>> Could we come up with a better name? `MemoryMap` or `MemoryMapping`?. You
>>> use `MMapReadGuard` later.
>>
>> Those names seem really confusing to me. The mmap syscall creates a
>> new VMA, but MemoryMap sounds like it's the thing that mmap creates.
>>
>> Lorenzo, what do you think? I'm inclined to just call it Mm since
>> that's what C calls it.
> 
> I think Mm is better just for aligment with the C stuff, I mean the alternative
> is MmStruct or something and... yuck.

For what it's worth, I think using the C naming here is a very good approach.
Because if you come up with a "good" name that is different than what C has
been calling it for 30+ years, then we have to be very thorough in associating
that new name with the C name. And it's hard.

And "mm struct" goes waaay back. Just use that name and everyone will know
what it means.

For less well-established areas, with fewer callers, there is much more
freedom to come up with new, better names.

> 
> And like, here I am TOTALLY onboard with Andreas here, because this naming
> SUCKS. But it sucks on the C side too (we're experts at bad naming :). So for
> consistency, let's suck everywhere...
> 
> Feel free to put a comment about this being a bad name if you like
> though... (not obligatory :)

For mm struct? Maybe let's not! Explanation without the criticism seems
more appropriate imho. :)

btw, I'm very excited to see all of this Rust for Linux progress, it is
wonderful! Thank you for this!


thanks,
-- 
John Hubbard