linux-kernel - [PATCH 01/13] fs/proc: Don't lock root inode when creating "self" and "thread-self"

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Message-ID: <20260204050726.177283-2-neilb@ownmail.net>
Date: Wed,  4 Feb 2026 15:57:45 +1100
From: NeilBrown <neilb@...mail.net>
To: Christian Brauner <brauner@...nel.org>,
	Alexander Viro <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>,
	David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>,
	Jan Kara <jack@...e.cz>,
	Chuck Lever <chuck.lever@...cle.com>,
	Jeff Layton <jlayton@...nel.org>,
	Miklos Szeredi <miklos@...redi.hu>,
	Amir Goldstein <amir73il@...il.com>,
	John Johansen <john.johansen@...onical.com>,
	Paul Moore <paul@...l-moore.com>,
	James Morris <jmorris@...ei.org>,
	"Serge E. Hallyn" <serge@...lyn.com>,
	Stephen Smalley <stephen.smalley.work@...il.com>
Cc: linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	netfs@...ts.linux.dev,
	linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-nfs@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-unionfs@...r.kernel.org,
	apparmor@...ts.ubuntu.com,
	linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org,
	selinux@...r.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH 01/13] fs/proc: Don't lock root inode when creating "self" and "thread-self"

From: NeilBrown <neil@...wn.name>

proc_setup_self() and proc_setup_thread_self() are only called from
proc_fill_super() which is before the filesystem is "live".  So there is
no need to lock the root directory when adding "self" and "thread-self".
This is clear from simple_fill_super() which provides similar
functionality for other filesystems and does not lock anything.

The locking is not harmful, except that it may be confusing to a reader.
As part of a an effort to centralise all locking for directories for
name-based operations (prior to changing some locking rules), it is
simplest to remove the locking here.

Signed-off-by: NeilBrown <neil@...wn.name>
---
 fs/proc/self.c        | 3 ---
 fs/proc/thread_self.c | 3 ---
 2 files changed, 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/proc/self.c b/fs/proc/self.c
index 62d2c0cfe35c..56adf1c68f7a 100644
--- a/fs/proc/self.c
+++ b/fs/proc/self.c
@@ -35,11 +35,9 @@ unsigned self_inum __ro_after_init;
 
 int proc_setup_self(struct super_block *s)
 {
-	struct inode *root_inode = d_inode(s->s_root);
 	struct dentry *self;
 	int ret = -ENOMEM;
 
-	inode_lock(root_inode);
 	self = d_alloc_name(s->s_root, "self");
 	if (self) {
 		struct inode *inode = new_inode(s);
@@ -55,7 +53,6 @@ int proc_setup_self(struct super_block *s)
 		}
 		dput(self);
 	}
-	inode_unlock(root_inode);
 
 	if (ret)
 		pr_err("proc_fill_super: can't allocate /proc/self\n");
diff --git a/fs/proc/thread_self.c b/fs/proc/thread_self.c
index d6113dbe58e0..61ac62c3fd9f 100644
--- a/fs/proc/thread_self.c
+++ b/fs/proc/thread_self.c
@@ -35,11 +35,9 @@ unsigned thread_self_inum __ro_after_init;
 
 int proc_setup_thread_self(struct super_block *s)
 {
-	struct inode *root_inode = d_inode(s->s_root);
 	struct dentry *thread_self;
 	int ret = -ENOMEM;
 
-	inode_lock(root_inode);
 	thread_self = d_alloc_name(s->s_root, "thread-self");
 	if (thread_self) {
 		struct inode *inode = new_inode(s);
@@ -55,7 +53,6 @@ int proc_setup_thread_self(struct super_block *s)
 		}
 		dput(thread_self);
 	}
-	inode_unlock(root_inode);
 
 	if (ret)
 		pr_err("proc_fill_super: can't allocate /proc/thread-self\n");
-- 
2.50.0.107.gf914562f5916.dirty