[bpf-next] bpf, docs: Explain helper functions

Commit Message

Dave Thaler Feb. 20, 2023, 10:50 p.m. UTC

From: Dave Thaler <[e-mail]>

Add text explaining helper functions.
Note that text about runtime functions (kfuncs) is part of a separate patch,
not this one.

Signed-off-by: Dave Thaler <[e-mail]>
---
V1 -> V2: addressed comments from Alexei and Stanislav

V2 -> V3: addressed comments from David Vernet
---
 Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst     |  6 ++++++
 Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst | 19 ++++++++++++++++++-
 Documentation/bpf/linux-notes.rst     |  8 ++++++++
 3 files changed, 32 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

Patch

diff --git a/Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst b/Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst
index 528feddf2db..2c872a1ee08 100644
--- a/Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst
+++ b/Documentation/bpf/clang-notes.rst
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@  Arithmetic instructions
 For CPU versions prior to 3, Clang v7.0 and later can enable ``BPF_ALU`` support with
 ``-Xclang -target-feature -Xclang +alu32``.  In CPU version 3, support is automatically included.
 
+Jump instructions
+=================
+
+If ``-O0`` is used, Clang will generate the ``BPF_CALL | BPF_X | BPF_JMP`` (0x8d)
+instruction, which is not supported by the Linux kernel verifier.
+
 Atomic operations
 =================
 
diff --git a/Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst b/Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst
index af515de5fc3..148dd2a2e39 100644
--- a/Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst
+++ b/Documentation/bpf/instruction-set.rst
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@  BPF_JSET  0x40   PC += off if dst & src
 BPF_JNE   0x50   PC += off if dst != src
 BPF_JSGT  0x60   PC += off if dst > src     signed
 BPF_JSGE  0x70   PC += off if dst >= src    signed
-BPF_CALL  0x80   function call
+BPF_CALL  0x80   function call              see `Helper functions`_
 BPF_EXIT  0x90   function / program return  BPF_JMP only
 BPF_JLT   0xa0   PC += off if dst < src     unsigned
 BPF_JLE   0xb0   PC += off if dst <= src    unsigned
@@ -250,6 +250,23 @@  BPF_JSLE  0xd0   PC += off if dst <= src    signed
 The eBPF program needs to store the return value into register R0 before doing a
 BPF_EXIT.
 
+Helper functions
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Helper functions are a concept whereby BPF programs can call into a
+set of function calls exposed by the runtime.  Each helper
+function is identified by an integer used in a ``BPF_CALL`` instruction.
+The available helper functions may differ for each program type.
+
+Conceptually, each helper function is implemented with a commonly shared function
+signature defined as:
+
+  u64 function(u64 r1, u64 r2, u64 r3, u64 r4, u64 r5)
+
+In actuality, each helper function is defined as taking between 0 and 5 arguments,
+with the remaining registers being ignored.  The definition of a helper function
+is responsible for specifying the type (e.g., integer, pointer, etc.) of the value returned,
+the number of arguments, and the type of each argument.
 
 Load and store instructions
 ===========================
diff --git a/Documentation/bpf/linux-notes.rst b/Documentation/bpf/linux-notes.rst
index 956b0c86699..f43b9c797bc 100644
--- a/Documentation/bpf/linux-notes.rst
+++ b/Documentation/bpf/linux-notes.rst
@@ -12,6 +12,14 @@  Byte swap instructions
 
 ``BPF_FROM_LE`` and ``BPF_FROM_BE`` exist as aliases for ``BPF_TO_LE`` and ``BPF_TO_BE`` respectively.
 
+Jump instructions
+=================
+
+``BPF_CALL | BPF_X | BPF_JMP`` (0x8d), where the helper function
+integer would be read from a specified register, is not currently supported
+by the verifier.  Any programs with this instruction will fail to load
+until such support is added.
+
 Legacy BPF Packet access instructions
 =====================================