Message-Id: <20250529-b4-container-of-type-check-v4-1-bf3a7ad73cec@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 29 May 2025 09:11:33 -0400
From: Tamir Duberstein <tamird@...il.com>
To: Miguel Ojeda <ojeda@...nel.org>, Alex Gaynor <alex.gaynor@...il.com>, 
 Boqun Feng <boqun.feng@...il.com>, Gary Guo <gary@...yguo.net>, 
 Björn Roy Baron <bjorn3_gh@...tonmail.com>, 
 Andreas Hindborg <a.hindborg@...nel.org>, Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@...gle.com>, 
 Trevor Gross <tmgross@...ch.edu>, Danilo Krummrich <dakr@...nel.org>, 
 Benno Lossin <lossin@...nel.org>
Cc: rust-for-linux@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, 
 Tamir Duberstein <tamird@...il.com>
Subject: [PATCH v4] rust: check type of `$ptr` in `container_of!`

Add a compile-time check that `*$ptr` is of the type of `$type->$($f)*`.
Rename those placeholders for clarity.

Given the incorrect usage:

> diff --git a/rust/kernel/rbtree.rs b/rust/kernel/rbtree.rs
> index 8d978c896747..6a7089149878 100644
> --- a/rust/kernel/rbtree.rs
> +++ b/rust/kernel/rbtree.rs
> @@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ fn raw_entry(&mut self, key: &K) -> RawEntry<'_, K, V> {
>          while !(*child_field_of_parent).is_null() {
>              let curr = *child_field_of_parent;
>              // SAFETY: All links fields we create are in a `Node<K, V>`.
> -            let node = unsafe { container_of!(curr, Node<K, V>, links) };
> +            let node = unsafe { container_of!(curr, Node<K, V>, key) };
>
>              // SAFETY: `node` is a non-null node so it is valid by the type invariants.
>              match key.cmp(unsafe { &(*node).key }) {

this patch produces the compilation error:

> error[E0308]: mismatched types
>    --> rust/kernel/lib.rs:220:45
>     |
> 220 |         $crate::assert_same_type(field_ptr, (&raw const (*container_ptr).$($fields)*).cast_mut());
>     |         ------------------------ ---------  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ expected `*mut rb_node`, found `*mut K`
>     |         |                        |
>     |         |                        expected all arguments to be this `*mut bindings::rb_node` type because they need to match the type of this parameter
>     |         arguments to this function are incorrect
>     |
>    ::: rust/kernel/rbtree.rs:270:6
>     |
> 270 | impl<K, V> RBTree<K, V>
>     |      - found this type parameter
> ...
> 332 |             let node = unsafe { container_of!(curr, Node<K, V>, key) };
>     |                                 ------------------------------------ in this macro invocation
>     |
>     = note: expected raw pointer `*mut bindings::rb_node`
>                found raw pointer `*mut K`
> note: function defined here
>    --> rust/kernel/lib.rs:227:8
>     |
> 227 | pub fn assert_same_type<T>(_: T, _: T) {}
>     |        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -  ----  ---- this parameter needs to match the `*mut bindings::rb_node` type of parameter #1
>     |                         |  |
>     |                         |  parameter #2 needs to match the `*mut bindings::rb_node` type of this parameter
>     |                         parameter #1 and parameter #2 both reference this parameter `T`
>     = note: this error originates in the macro `container_of` (in Nightly builds, run with -Z macro-backtrace for more info)

Suggested-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@...gle.com>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAH5fLgh6gmqGBhPMi2SKn7mCmMWfOSiS0WP5wBuGPYh9ZTAiww@mail.gmail.com/
Signed-off-by: Tamir Duberstein <tamird@...il.com>
---
Changes in v4:
- Revert back to v1 with assert_same_type extracted out of the macro. (Miguel Ojeda)
- Drop Benno's RB since the implementation changed.
- Rebase on rust-next.
- Link to v3: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20250423-b4-container-of-type-check-v3-1-7994c56cf359@gmail.com

Changes in v3:
- Fix comment typo.
- s/^;/   / in commit message and cover letter. (Miguel Ojeda)
- Evaluate $ptr only once. (Alice Ryhl)
- Link to v2: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20250412-b4-container-of-type-check-v2-1-f3cc9934c160@gmail.com

Changes in v2:
- Wrap in `if false` to improve unoptimized codegen. (Alice Ryhl)
- Shrink implementation using an array literal instead of a function.
- Link to v1: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20250411-b4-container-of-type-check-v1-1-08262ef67c95@gmail.com
---
 rust/kernel/lib.rs | 13 ++++++++++---
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/rust/kernel/lib.rs b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
index 909d305d0be8..b69b345ab778 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
@@ -213,12 +213,19 @@ fn panic(info: &core::panic::PanicInfo<'_>) -> ! {
 /// ```
 #[macro_export]
 macro_rules! container_of {
-    ($ptr:expr, $type:ty, $($f:tt)*) => {{
-        let offset: usize = ::core::mem::offset_of!($type, $($f)*);
-        $ptr.byte_sub(offset).cast::<$type>()
+    ($field_ptr:expr, $Container:ty, $($fields:tt)*) => {{
+        let offset: usize = ::core::mem::offset_of!($Container, $($fields)*);
+        let field_ptr = $field_ptr;
+        let container_ptr = field_ptr.byte_sub(offset).cast::<$Container>();
+        $crate::assert_same_type(field_ptr, (&raw const (*container_ptr).$($fields)*).cast_mut());
+        container_ptr
     }}
 }
 
+/// Helper for `container_of!`.
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub fn assert_same_type<T>(_: T, _: T) {}
+
 /// Helper for `.rs.S` files.
 #[doc(hidden)]
 #[macro_export]

---
base-commit: 1ce98bb2bb30713ec4374ef11ead0d7d3e856766
change-id: 20250411-b4-container-of-type-check-06af1c204f59

Best regards,
-- 
Tamir Duberstein <tamird@...il.com>

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