Message-ID: <20251229122415.192377-1-hao.li@linux.dev>
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2025 20:24:39 +0800
From: Hao Li <hao.li@...ux.dev>
To: vbabka@...e.cz, akpm@...ux-foundation.org, harry.yoo@...cle.com, 
	cl@...two.org, rientjes@...gle.com, roman.gushchin@...ux.dev, 
	linux-mm@...ck.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, hao.li@...ux.dev
Cc: cl@...two.org, rientjes@...gle.com, roman.gushchin@...ux.dev, 
	linux-mm@...ck.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Hao Li <hao.li@...ux.dev>
Subject: [PATCH v2] slub: clarify object field layout comments

The comments above check_pad_bytes() document the field layout of a
single object. Rewrite them to improve clarity and precision.

Also update an outdated comment in calculate_sizes().

Suggested-by: Harry Yoo <harry.yoo@...cle.com>
Acked-by: Harry Yoo <harry.yoo@...cle.com>
Signed-off-by: Hao Li <hao.li@...ux.dev>
---
Changes from v1:
[Left redzone padding]: Clarify that the left redzone immediately
precedes each object.
[Object bytes]: Clarify that the object starts at the address immediately
after the left redzone.

 mm/slub.c | 96 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------------------
 1 file changed, 56 insertions(+), 40 deletions(-)

diff --git a/mm/slub.c b/mm/slub.c
index a94c64f56504..fa08c932db70 100644
--- a/mm/slub.c
+++ b/mm/slub.c
@@ -1211,44 +1211,60 @@ check_bytes_and_report(struct kmem_cache *s, struct slab *slab,
 }
 
 /*
- * Object layout:
- *
- * object address
- * 	Bytes of the object to be managed.
- * 	If the freepointer may overlay the object then the free
- *	pointer is at the middle of the object.
- *
- * 	Poisoning uses 0x6b (POISON_FREE) and the last byte is
- * 	0xa5 (POISON_END)
- *
- * object + s->object_size
- * 	Padding to reach word boundary. This is also used for Redzoning.
- * 	Padding is extended by another word if Redzoning is enabled and
- * 	object_size == inuse.
- *
- * 	We fill with 0xbb (SLUB_RED_INACTIVE) for inactive objects and with
- * 	0xcc (SLUB_RED_ACTIVE) for objects in use.
- *
- * object + s->inuse
- * 	Meta data starts here.
- *
- * 	A. Free pointer (if we cannot overwrite object on free)
- * 	B. Tracking data for SLAB_STORE_USER
- *	C. Original request size for kmalloc object (SLAB_STORE_USER enabled)
- *	D. Padding to reach required alignment boundary or at minimum
- * 		one word if debugging is on to be able to detect writes
- * 		before the word boundary.
- *
- *	Padding is done using 0x5a (POISON_INUSE)
- *
- * object + s->size
- * 	Nothing is used beyond s->size.
- *
- * If slabcaches are merged then the object_size and inuse boundaries are mostly
- * ignored. And therefore no slab options that rely on these boundaries
- * may be used with merged slabcaches.
+ * Object field layout:
+ *
+ * [Left redzone padding] (if SLAB_RED_ZONE)
+ *   - Field size: s->red_left_pad
+ *   - Immediately precedes each object when SLAB_RED_ZONE is set.
+ *   - Filled with 0xbb (SLUB_RED_INACTIVE) for inactive objects and
+ *     0xcc (SLUB_RED_ACTIVE) for objects in use when SLAB_RED_ZONE.
+ *
+ * [Object bytes] (object address starts here)
+ *   - Field size: s->object_size
+ *   - Object payload bytes.
+ *   - If the freepointer may overlap the object, it is stored inside
+ *     the object (typically near the middle).
+ *   - Poisoning uses 0x6b (POISON_FREE) and the last byte is
+ *     0xa5 (POISON_END) when __OBJECT_POISON is enabled.
+ *
+ * [Word-align padding] (right redzone when SLAB_RED_ZONE is set)
+ *   - Field size: s->inuse - s->object_size
+ *   - If redzoning is enabled and ALIGN(size, sizeof(void *)) adds no
+ *     padding, explicitly extend by one word so the right redzone is
+ *     non-empty.
+ *   - Filled with 0xbb (SLUB_RED_INACTIVE) for inactive objects and
+ *     0xcc (SLUB_RED_ACTIVE) for objects in use when SLAB_RED_ZONE.
+ *
+ * [Metadata starts at object + s->inuse]
+ *   - A. freelist pointer (if freeptr_outside_object)
+ *   - B. alloc tracking (SLAB_STORE_USER)
+ *   - C. free tracking (SLAB_STORE_USER)
+ *   - D. original request size (SLAB_KMALLOC && SLAB_STORE_USER)
+ *   - E. KASAN metadata (if enabled)
+ *
+ * [Mandatory padding] (if CONFIG_SLUB_DEBUG && SLAB_RED_ZONE)
+ *   - One mandatory debug word to guarantee a minimum poisoned gap
+ *     between metadata and the next object, independent of alignment.
+ *   - Filled with 0x5a (POISON_INUSE) when SLAB_POISON is set.
+ * [Final alignment padding]
+ *   - Any bytes added by ALIGN(size, s->align) to reach s->size.
+ *   - Filled with 0x5a (POISON_INUSE) when SLAB_POISON is set.
+ *
+ * Notes:
+ * - Redzones are filled by init_object() with SLUB_RED_ACTIVE/INACTIVE.
+ * - Object contents are poisoned with POISON_FREE/END when __OBJECT_POISON.
+ * - The trailing padding is pre-filled with POISON_INUSE by
+ *   setup_slab_debug() when SLAB_POISON is set, and is validated by
+ *   check_pad_bytes().
+ * - The first object pointer is slab_address(slab) +
+ *   (s->red_left_pad if redzoning); subsequent objects are reached by
+ *   adding s->size each time.
+ *
+ * If a slab cache flag relies on specific metadata to exist at a fixed
+ * offset, the flag must be included in SLAB_NEVER_MERGE to prevent merging.
+ * Otherwise, the cache would misbehave as s->object_size and s->inuse are
+ * adjusted during cache merging (see __kmem_cache_alias()).
  */
-
 static int check_pad_bytes(struct kmem_cache *s, struct slab *slab, u8 *p)
 {
 	unsigned long off = get_info_end(s);	/* The end of info */
@@ -7103,9 +7119,9 @@ static int calculate_sizes(struct kmem_cache_args *args, struct kmem_cache *s)
 
 
 	/*
-	 * If we are Redzoning then check if there is some space between the
-	 * end of the object and the free pointer. If not then add an
-	 * additional word to have some bytes to store Redzone information.
+	 * If we are Redzoning and there is no space between the end of the
+	 * object and the following fields, add one word so the right Redzone
+	 * is non-empty.
 	 */
 	if ((flags & SLAB_RED_ZONE) && size == s->object_size)
 		size += sizeof(void *);
-- 
2.50.1

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