linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2] rust: kernel: introduce `unsafe_precondition

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Message-ID: <20250730181420.6979b4f1@eugeo>
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2025 18:14:20 +0100
From: Gary Guo <gary@...yguo.net>
To: Ritvik Gupta <ritvikfoss@...il.com>
Cc: ojeda@...nel.org, alex.gaynor@...il.com, boqun.feng@...il.com,
 bjorn3_gh@...tonmail.com, lossin@...nel.org, a.hindborg@...nel.org,
 aliceryhl@...gle.com, tmgross@...ch.edu, dakr@...nel.org,
 linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, skhan@...uxfoundation.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] rust: kernel: introduce
 `unsafe_precondition_assert!` macro

On Wed, 30 Jul 2025 22:41:28 +0530
Ritvik Gupta <ritvikfoss@...il.com> wrote:

> Introduce a new `safety` module containing `unsafe_precondition_assert!`
> macro. It is a wrapper around `debug_assert!`, intended for validating
> pre-conditions of unsafe function.
> 
> When `CONFIG_RUST_DEBUG_ASSERTIONS` flag is enabled, this macro performs
> runtime checks to ensure that the preconditions for unsafe function hold.
> Otherwise, the macro is a no-op.

This email should be include the Rust-for-Linux list.

> 
> Suggested-by: Miguel Ojeda <ojeda@...nel.org>
> Link: https://github.com/Rust-for-Linux/linux/issues/1162
> Link: https://rust-for-linux.zulipchat.com/#narrow/channel/291566-Library/topic/.60unsafe_precondition_assert.60.20macro/with/528457452
> Signed-off-by: Ritvik Gupta <ritvikfoss@...il.com>
> ---
> 
> Changes in v2:
>  - Wrap `debug_assert!` internally instead of using `pr_err!` with `assert!` + `cfg!(debug_assertions)
>  - Print “unsafe precondition(s) violated” only on assertion failure (no longer always printed)
>  - Use `# Safety` section instead of comment in the example
>  - Rename module-level doc
>  - Link to v1: https://lore.kernel.org/rust-for-linux/20250716045957.39732-1-ritvikfoss@gmail.com/
> 
> ---
>  rust/kernel/lib.rs    |  1 +
>  rust/kernel/safety.rs | 52 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 53 insertions(+)
>  create mode 100644 rust/kernel/safety.rs
> 
> diff --git a/rust/kernel/lib.rs b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
> index 11a6461e98da..7aab607dd879 100644
> --- a/rust/kernel/lib.rs
> +++ b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
> @@ -104,6 +104,7 @@
>  pub mod print;
>  pub mod rbtree;
>  pub mod revocable;
> +pub mod safety;
>  pub mod security;
>  pub mod seq_file;
>  pub mod sizes;
> diff --git a/rust/kernel/safety.rs b/rust/kernel/safety.rs
> new file mode 100644
> index 000000000000..42f7763a044f
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/rust/kernel/safety.rs
> @@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
> +// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
> +
> +//! Safety related APIs.
> +
> +/// Checks that preconditions of an unsafe function are followed.
> +///
> +/// The check is enabled at runtime if debug assertions (`CONFIG_RUST_DEBUG_ASSERTIONS`)
> +/// are enabled. Otherwise, this macro is no-op.
> +///
> +/// # Examples
> +///
> +/// ```
> +/// /// # Safety
> +/// ///
> +/// /// The caller must ensure that interpreting the bytes of `[T; N]` as `[U; N]` is valid.
> +/// ///
> +/// /// This requires:
> +/// /// - `T` and `U` must have same size.
> +/// /// - The bit pattern of `T` must be valid for `U`.
> +/// /// - The alignment of `T` must be at least as strict as `U`.
> +/// unsafe fn transmute_array<const N: usize, T: Copy, U: Copy>(input: [T; N]) -> [U; N] {
> +///     unsafe_precondition_assert!(
> +///         core::mem::size_of::<T>() == core::mem::size_of::<U>(),
> +///         "src and dst must have the same size"
> +///     );

These can just be `const { assert!() }`? There's no reason for this to
be runtime.

Best,
Gary

> +///
> +///     unsafe_precondition_assert!(
> +///         core::mem::align_of::<T>() >= core::mem::align_of::<U>(),
> +///         "src alignment must be compatible with dst alignment"
> +///     );
> +///
> +///     unsafe { core::mem::transmute_copy(&input) }
> +/// }
> +/// ```
> +///
> +/// # Panics
> +///
> +/// Panics if the expression is evaluated to `false` at runtime.
> +///
> +#[macro_export]
> +macro_rules! unsafe_precondition_assert {
> +    ($cond:expr $(,)?) => {
> +        $crate::unsafe_precondition_assert!(@inner $cond, ::core::stringify!($cond))
> +    };
> +
> +    ($cond:expr, $($arg:tt)+) => {
> +        $crate::unsafe_precondition_assert!(@inner $cond, ::core::format_args!($($arg)+))
> +    };
> +
> +    (@inner $cond:expr, $msg:expr) => {
> +        ::core::debug_assert!($cond, "unsafe precondition(s) violated: {}", $msg) };
> +}
> 
> base-commit: dff64b072708ffef23c117fa1ee1ea59eb417807