linux-kernel - Re: Bug 220102 - struct taskstats breaks backward compatibility since version 15

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Message-Id: <20250509141727.19b616d1c4a549d01656e5dd@linux-foundation.org>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2025 14:17:27 -0700
From: Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>
To: Boian Bonev <bbonev@...uan.org>
Cc: linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Balbir Singh <bsingharora@...il.com>, Yang
 Yang <yang.yang29@....com.cn>, Wang Yaxin <wang.yaxin@....com.cn>, Kun
 Jiang <jiang.kun2@....com.cn>, xu xin <xu.xin16@....com.cn>
Subject: Re: Bug 220102 - struct taskstats breaks backward compatibility
 since version 15

On Fri, 09 May 2025 21:35:59 +0300 Boian Bonev <bbonev@...uan.org> wrote:

> Hello!
> 
> Since version 15 (TASKSTATS_VERSION=15) the new layout of the structure
> adds fields in the middle of the structure, rendering all old software
> incompatible with newer kernels and software compiled against the new
> kernel headers incompatible with older kernels.

Yikes.  Yes, we did change the versioning but such an incompatibility
seems undesirable and unnecessarily disruptive.

> I think that change has to be reverted and the added fields moved to
> the end of the structure. Also bumping the version to 16 after the
> change is a good idea in order for the userspace software to be able to
> distinguish the different formats.

Yes, please send along the patch.  Include the suitable Fixes: and we
can backport this into the affected -stable kernels.

> https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=220102