Message-ID: <ba5eb5cf-537c-400f-9385-bc714776ce6b@arm.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:12:53 +0530
From: Dev Jain <dev.jain@....com>
To: Ryan Roberts <ryan.roberts@....com>, akpm@...ux-foundation.org
Cc: david@...hat.com, willy@...radead.org, linux-mm@...ck.org,
 linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, catalin.marinas@....com, will@...nel.org,
 Liam.Howlett@...cle.com, lorenzo.stoakes@...cle.com, vbabka@...e.cz,
 jannh@...gle.com, anshuman.khandual@....com, peterx@...hat.com,
 joey.gouly@....com, ioworker0@...il.com, baohua@...nel.org,
 kevin.brodsky@....com, quic_zhenhuah@...cinc.com,
 christophe.leroy@...roup.eu, yangyicong@...ilicon.com,
 linux-arm-kernel@...ts.infradead.org, hughd@...gle.com,
 yang@...amperecomputing.com, ziy@...dia.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH v4 2/4] mm: Add batched versions of
 ptep_modify_prot_start/commit


On 30/06/25 4:05 pm, Ryan Roberts wrote:
> On 30/06/2025 11:17, Dev Jain wrote:
>> On 30/06/25 3:40 pm, Ryan Roberts wrote:
>>> On 28/06/2025 12:34, Dev Jain wrote:
>>>> Batch ptep_modify_prot_start/commit in preparation for optimizing mprotect.
>>>> Architecture can override these helpers; in case not, they are implemented
>>>> as a simple loop over the corresponding single pte helpers.
>>>>
>>>> Signed-off-by: Dev Jain <dev.jain@....com>
>>>> ---
>>>>    include/linux/pgtable.h | 83 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>>>>    mm/mprotect.c           |  4 +-
>>>>    2 files changed, 84 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
>>>>
>>>> diff --git a/include/linux/pgtable.h b/include/linux/pgtable.h
>>>> index cf1515c163e2..662f39e7475a 100644
>>>> --- a/include/linux/pgtable.h
>>>> +++ b/include/linux/pgtable.h
>>>> @@ -1331,7 +1331,8 @@ static inline pte_t ptep_modify_prot_start(struct
>>>> vm_area_struct *vma,
>>>>      /*
>>>>     * Commit an update to a pte, leaving any hardware-controlled bits in
>>>> - * the PTE unmodified.
>>>> + * the PTE unmodified. The pte may have been "upgraded" w.r.t a/d bits compared
>>>> + * to the old_pte, as in, it may have a/d bits on which were off in old_pte.
>>> I find this last sentance a bit confusing. I think what you are trying to say is
>>> somehthing like:
>>>
>>> """
>>> old_pte is the value returned from ptep_modify_prot_start() but may additionally
>>> have have young and/or dirty bits set where previously they were not.
>>> """
>> Thanks.
>>
>>> ?
>>>
>>>>     */
>>>>    static inline void ptep_modify_prot_commit(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
>>>>                           unsigned long addr,
>>>> @@ -1340,6 +1341,86 @@ static inline void ptep_modify_prot_commit(struct
>>>> vm_area_struct *vma,
>>>>        __ptep_modify_prot_commit(vma, addr, ptep, pte);
>>>>    }
>>>>    #endif /* __HAVE_ARCH_PTEP_MODIFY_PROT_TRANSACTION */
>>>> +
>>>> +/**
>>>> + * modify_prot_start_ptes - Start a pte protection read-modify-write
>>>> transaction
>>>> + * over a batch of ptes, which protects against asynchronous hardware
>>>> + * modifications to the ptes. The intention is not to prevent the hardware from
>>>> + * making pte updates, but to prevent any updates it may make from being lost.
>>>> + * Please see the comment above ptep_modify_prot_start() for full description.
>>>> + *
>>>> + * @vma: The virtual memory area the pages are mapped into.
>>>> + * @addr: Address the first page is mapped at.
>>>> + * @ptep: Page table pointer for the first entry.
>>>> + * @nr: Number of entries.
>>>> + *
>>>> + * May be overridden by the architecture; otherwise, implemented as a simple
>>>> + * loop over ptep_modify_prot_start(), collecting the a/d bits from each pte
>>>> + * in the batch.
>>>> + *
>>>> + * Note that PTE bits in the PTE batch besides the PFN can differ.
>>>> + *
>>>> + * Context: The caller holds the page table lock.  The PTEs map consecutive
>>>> + * pages that belong to the same folio.  The PTEs are all in the same PMD.
>>>> + * Since the batch is determined from folio_pte_batch, the PTEs must differ
>>>> + * only in a/d bits (and the soft dirty bit; see fpb_t flags in
>>>> + * mprotect_folio_pte_batch()).
>>> This last sentence is confusing... You had previous said the PFN can differ, but
>>> here you imply on a, d and sd bits are allowed to differ.
>> Forgot to mention the PFNs, kind of took them as implied. So mentioning the PFNs
>> also will do or do you suggest a better wording?
> Perhaps:
>
> """
> Context: The caller holds the page table lock.  The PTEs map consecutive
> pages that belong to the same folio.  All other PTE bits must be identical for
> all PTEs in the batch except for young and dirty bits.  The PTEs are all in the
> same PMD.
> """
>
> You mention the soft dirty bit not needing to be the same in your current
> wording, but I don't think that is correct? soft dirty needs to be the same, right?

Oh god, confused this with the skipping case, you are right.

>
>>>> + */
>>>> +#ifndef modify_prot_start_ptes
>>>> +static inline pte_t modify_prot_start_ptes(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
>>>> +        unsigned long addr, pte_t *ptep, unsigned int nr)
>>>> +{
>>>> +    pte_t pte, tmp_pte;
>>>> +
>>>> +    pte = ptep_modify_prot_start(vma, addr, ptep);
>>>> +    while (--nr) {
>>>> +        ptep++;
>>>> +        addr += PAGE_SIZE;
>>>> +        tmp_pte = ptep_modify_prot_start(vma, addr, ptep);
>>>> +        if (pte_dirty(tmp_pte))
>>>> +            pte = pte_mkdirty(pte);
>>>> +        if (pte_young(tmp_pte))
>>>> +            pte = pte_mkyoung(pte);
>>>> +    }
>>>> +    return pte;
>>>> +}
>>>> +#endif
>>>> +
>>>> +/**
>>>> + * modify_prot_commit_ptes - Commit an update to a batch of ptes, leaving any
>>>> + * hardware-controlled bits in the PTE unmodified.
>>>> + *
>>>> + * @vma: The virtual memory area the pages are mapped into.
>>>> + * @addr: Address the first page is mapped at.
>>>> + * @ptep: Page table pointer for the first entry.
>>>> + * @old_pte: Old page table entry (for the first entry) which is now cleared.
>>>> + * @pte: New page table entry to be set.
>>>> + * @nr: Number of entries.
>>>> + *
>>>> + * May be overridden by the architecture; otherwise, implemented as a simple
>>>> + * loop over ptep_modify_prot_commit().
>>>> + *
>>>> + * Context: The caller holds the page table lock. The PTEs are all in the same
>>>> + * PMD. On exit, the set ptes in the batch map the same folio. The pte may have
>>>> + * been "upgraded" w.r.t a/d bits compared to the old_pte, as in, it may have
>>>> + * a/d bits on which were off in old_pte.
>>> Same comment as for ptep_modify_prot_start().
>>>
>>>> + */
>>>> +#ifndef modify_prot_commit_ptes
>>>> +static inline void modify_prot_commit_ptes(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
>>>> unsigned long addr,
>>>> +        pte_t *ptep, pte_t old_pte, pte_t pte, unsigned int nr)
>>>> +{
>>>> +    int i;
>>>> +
>>>> +    for (i = 0; i < nr; ++i) {
>>>> +        ptep_modify_prot_commit(vma, addr, ptep, old_pte, pte);
>>>> +        ptep++;
>>>> +        addr += PAGE_SIZE;
>>>> +        old_pte = pte_next_pfn(old_pte);
>>>> +        pte = pte_next_pfn(pte);
>>>> +    }
>>>> +}
>>>> +#endif
>>>> +
>>>>    #endif /* CONFIG_MMU */
>>>>      /*
>>>> diff --git a/mm/mprotect.c b/mm/mprotect.c
>>>> index af10a7fbe6b8..627b0d67cc4a 100644
>>>> --- a/mm/mprotect.c
>>>> +++ b/mm/mprotect.c
>>>> @@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ static long change_pte_range(struct mmu_gather *tlb,
>>>>                        continue;
>>>>                }
>>>>    -            oldpte = ptep_modify_prot_start(vma, addr, pte);
>>>> +            oldpte = modify_prot_start_ptes(vma, addr, pte, nr_ptes);
>>> You're calling this with nr_ptes = 0 for the prot_numa case. But the
>>> implementation expects minimum nr_ptes == 1.
>> This will get fixed when I force nr_ptes = 1 in the previous patch right?
> Yep, just pointing it out.
>
>>>>                ptent = pte_modify(oldpte, newprot);
>>>>                  if (uffd_wp)
>>>> @@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ static long change_pte_range(struct mmu_gather *tlb,
>>>>                    can_change_pte_writable(vma, addr, ptent))
>>>>                    ptent = pte_mkwrite(ptent, vma);
>>>>    -            ptep_modify_prot_commit(vma, addr, pte, oldpte, ptent);
>>>> +            modify_prot_commit_ptes(vma, addr, pte, oldpte, ptent, nr_ptes);
>>>>                if (pte_needs_flush(oldpte, ptent))
>>>>                    tlb_flush_pte_range(tlb, addr, PAGE_SIZE);
>>>>                pages++;

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