diff mbox series

[01/13] sysctl: add new register_sysctl_subdir() helper

Message ID 20200529074108.16928-2-mcgrof@kernel.org (mailing list archive)
State New, archived
Headers show
Series sysctl: spring cleaning | expand

Commit Message

Luis R. Rodriguez May 29, 2020, 7:40 a.m. UTC
Often enough all we need to do is create a subdirectory so that
we can stuff sysctls underneath it. However, *if* that directory
was already created early on the boot sequence we really have no
need to use the full boiler plate code for it, we can just use
local variables to help us guide sysctl to place the new leaf files.

So use a helper to do precisely this.

Signed-off-by: Luis Chamberlain <mcgrof@kernel.org>
---
 include/linux/sysctl.h | 11 +++++++++++
 kernel/sysctl.c        | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 48 insertions(+)

Comments

Jani Nikula May 29, 2020, 8:13 a.m. UTC | #1
On Fri, 29 May 2020, Luis Chamberlain <mcgrof@kernel.org> wrote:
> Often enough all we need to do is create a subdirectory so that
> we can stuff sysctls underneath it. However, *if* that directory
> was already created early on the boot sequence we really have no
> need to use the full boiler plate code for it, we can just use
> local variables to help us guide sysctl to place the new leaf files.

I find it hard to figure out the lifetime requirements for the tables
passed in; when it's okay to use local variables and when you need
longer lifetimes. It's not documented, everyone appears to be using
static tables for this. It's far from obvious.

BR,
Jani.
Luis R. Rodriguez May 29, 2020, 12:16 p.m. UTC | #2
On Fri, May 29, 2020 at 11:13:21AM +0300, Jani Nikula wrote:
> On Fri, 29 May 2020, Luis Chamberlain <mcgrof@kernel.org> wrote:
> > Often enough all we need to do is create a subdirectory so that
> > we can stuff sysctls underneath it. However, *if* that directory
> > was already created early on the boot sequence we really have no
> > need to use the full boiler plate code for it, we can just use
> > local variables to help us guide sysctl to place the new leaf files.
> 
> I find it hard to figure out the lifetime requirements for the tables
> passed in; when it's okay to use local variables and when you need
> longer lifetimes. It's not documented, everyone appears to be using
> static tables for this. It's far from obvious.

I agree 2000% that it is not obvious. What made me consider it was that
I *knew* that the base directory would already exist, so it wouldn't
make sense for the code to rely on earlier parts of a table if part
of the hierarchy already existed.

In fact, a *huge* part of the due dilligence on this and futre series
on this cleanup will be to be 100% sure that the base path is already
created. And so this use is obviously dangerous, you just *need* to
know that the base path is created before.

Non-posted changes also deal with link order to help address this
in other places, given that link order controls how *initcalls()
(early_initcall(), late_initcall(), etc) are ordered if you have
multiple of these.

I had a link order series long ago which augmented our ability to make
things clearer at a link order. Eventually I believe this will become
more important, specially as we end up wanting to async more code.

For now, we can only rely on manual code inspection for ensuring
proper ordering. Part of the implicit aspects of this cleanup is
to slowly make these things clearer for each base path.

So... the "fs" base path will actually end up being created in
fs/sysctl.c after we are *fully* done with the fs sysctl cleanups.

  Luis
Eric W. Biederman May 29, 2020, 12:40 p.m. UTC | #3
Luis Chamberlain <mcgrof@kernel.org> writes:

> Often enough all we need to do is create a subdirectory so that
> we can stuff sysctls underneath it. However, *if* that directory
> was already created early on the boot sequence we really have no
> need to use the full boiler plate code for it, we can just use
> local variables to help us guide sysctl to place the new leaf files.
>
> So use a helper to do precisely this.

Reset restart.  This is patch is total nonsense.

- You are using register_sysctl_table which as I believe I have
  mentioned is a deprecated compatibility wrapper.  The point of
  spring house cleaning is to get off of the deprecated functions
  isn't it?

- You are using the old nasty form for creating directories instead
  of just passing in a path.

- None of this is even remotely necessary.  The directories
  are created automatically if you just register their entries.

Eric
Eric W. Biederman May 29, 2020, 12:42 p.m. UTC | #4
ebiederm@xmission.com (Eric W. Biederman) writes:

> Luis Chamberlain <mcgrof@kernel.org> writes:
>
>> Often enough all we need to do is create a subdirectory so that
>> we can stuff sysctls underneath it. However, *if* that directory
>> was already created early on the boot sequence we really have no
>> need to use the full boiler plate code for it, we can just use
>> local variables to help us guide sysctl to place the new leaf files.
>>
>> So use a helper to do precisely this.
>
> Reset restart.  This is patch is total nonsense.
>
> - You are using register_sysctl_table which as I believe I have
>   mentioned is a deprecated compatibility wrapper.  The point of
>   spring house cleaning is to get off of the deprecated functions
>   isn't it?
>
> - You are using the old nasty form for creating directories instead
>   of just passing in a path.
>
> - None of this is even remotely necessary.  The directories
>   are created automatically if you just register their entries.

Oh.  *blink*  The poor naming threw me off.

This is a clumsy and poorly named version of register_sysctl();

Yes. This change is totally unnecessary.

Eric
diff mbox series

Patch

diff --git a/include/linux/sysctl.h b/include/linux/sysctl.h
index ddaa06ddd852..58bc978d4f03 100644
--- a/include/linux/sysctl.h
+++ b/include/linux/sysctl.h
@@ -205,6 +205,9 @@  void unregister_sysctl_table(struct ctl_table_header * table);
 extern int sysctl_init(void);
 extern void register_sysctl_init(const char *path, struct ctl_table *table,
 				 const char *table_name);
+extern struct ctl_table_header *register_sysctl_subdir(const char *base,
+						       const char *subdir,
+						       struct ctl_table *table);
 void do_sysctl_args(void);
 
 extern int pwrsw_enabled;
@@ -223,6 +226,14 @@  static inline struct ctl_table_header *register_sysctl_table(struct ctl_table *
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static
+inline struct ctl_table_header *register_sysctl_subdir(const char *base,
+						       const char *subdir,
+						       struct ctl_table *table)
+{
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 static inline struct ctl_table_header *register_sysctl_paths(
 			const struct ctl_path *path, struct ctl_table *table)
 {
diff --git a/kernel/sysctl.c b/kernel/sysctl.c
index 008ac0576ae5..04ff032f2863 100644
--- a/kernel/sysctl.c
+++ b/kernel/sysctl.c
@@ -3195,6 +3195,43 @@  void __init register_sysctl_init(const char *path, struct ctl_table *table,
 	}
 	kmemleak_not_leak(hdr);
 }
+
+struct ctl_table_header *register_sysctl_subdir(const char *base,
+						const char *subdir,
+						struct ctl_table *table)
+{
+	struct ctl_table_header *hdr = NULL;
+	struct ctl_table subdir_table[] = {
+		{
+			.procname	= subdir,
+			.mode		= 0555,
+			.child		= table,
+		},
+		{ }
+	};
+	struct ctl_table base_table[] = {
+		{
+			.procname	= base,
+			.mode		= 0555,
+			.child		= subdir_table,
+		},
+		{ }
+	};
+
+	if (!table->procname)
+		goto out;
+
+	hdr = register_sysctl_table(base_table);
+	if (unlikely(!hdr)) {
+		pr_err("failed when creating subdirectory sysctl %s/%s/%s\n",
+		       base, subdir, table->procname);
+		goto out;
+	}
+	kmemleak_not_leak(hdr);
+out:
+	return hdr;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(register_sysctl_subdir);
 #endif /* CONFIG_SYSCTL */
 /*
  * No sense putting this after each symbol definition, twice,