Re: [PATCH v4 0/3] Append new variables to vmcoreinfo (TCR_EL1.T1SZ for arm64 and MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS for all archs)

From: Bhupesh Sharma
Date: Wed Nov 20 2019 - 23:05:52 EST


Hi Dave,

On Thu, Nov 21, 2019 at 8:51 AM Dave Young <dyoung@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> On 11/11/19 at 01:31pm, Bhupesh Sharma wrote:
> > Changes since v3:
> > ----------------
> > - v3 can be seen here:
> > http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail/kexec/2019-March/022590.html
> > - Addressed comments from James and exported TCR_EL1.T1SZ in vmcoreinfo
> > instead of PTRS_PER_PGD.
> > - Added a new patch (via [PATCH 3/3]), which fixes a simple typo in
> > 'Documentation/arm64/memory.rst'
> >
> > Changes since v2:
> > ----------------
> > - v2 can be seen here:
> > http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail/kexec/2019-March/022531.html
> > - Protected 'MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS' vmcoreinfo variable under CONFIG_SPARSEMEM
> > ifdef sections, as suggested by Kazu.
> > - Updated vmcoreinfo documentation to add description about
> > 'MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS' variable (via [PATCH 3/3]).
> >
> > Changes since v1:
> > ----------------
> > - v1 was sent out as a single patch which can be seen here:
> > http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail/kexec/2019-February/022411.html
> >
> > - v2 breaks the single patch into two independent patches:
> > [PATCH 1/2] appends 'PTRS_PER_PGD' to vmcoreinfo for arm64 arch, whereas
> > [PATCH 2/2] appends 'MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS' to vmcoreinfo in core kernel code (all archs)
> >
> > This patchset primarily fixes the regression reported in user-space
> > utilities like 'makedumpfile' and 'crash-utility' on arm64 architecture
> > with the availability of 52-bit address space feature in underlying
> > kernel. These regressions have been reported both on CPUs which don't
> > support ARMv8.2 extensions (i.e. LVA, LPA) and are running newer kernels
> > and also on prototype platforms (like ARMv8 FVP simulator model) which
> > support ARMv8.2 extensions and are running newer kernels.
> >
> > The reason for these regressions is that right now user-space tools
> > have no direct access to these values (since these are not exported
> > from the kernel) and hence need to rely on a best-guess method of
> > determining value of 'vabits_actual' and 'MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS' supported
> > by underlying kernel.
> >
> > Exporting these values via vmcoreinfo will help user-land in such cases.
> > In addition, as per suggestion from makedumpfile maintainer (Kazu),
> > it makes more sense to append 'MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS' to
> > vmcoreinfo in the core code itself rather than in arm64 arch-specific
> > code, so that the user-space code for other archs can also benefit from
> > this addition to the vmcoreinfo and use it as a standard way of
> > determining 'SECTIONS_SHIFT' value in user-land.
> >
> > Cc: Boris Petkov <bp@xxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Ingo Molnar <mingo@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Thomas Gleixner <tglx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@xxxxxxx>
> > Cc: James Morse <james.morse@xxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Mark Rutland <mark.rutland@xxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Will Deacon <will@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Steve Capper <steve.capper@xxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Catalin Marinas <catalin.marinas@xxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Ard Biesheuvel <ard.biesheuvel@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Michael Ellerman <mpe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Paul Mackerras <paulus@xxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Benjamin Herrenschmidt <benh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Dave Anderson <anderson@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Kazuhito Hagio <k-hagio@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: x86@xxxxxxxxxx
> > Cc: linuxppc-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Cc: linux-arm-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Cc: linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Cc: linux-doc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Cc: kexec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> > Bhupesh Sharma (3):
> > crash_core, vmcoreinfo: Append 'MAX_PHYSMEM_BITS' to vmcoreinfo
> > arm64/crash_core: Export TCR_EL1.T1SZ in vmcoreinfo
>
> Soft reminder: the new introduced vmcoreinfo needs documentation
>
> Please check Documentation/admin-guide/kdump/vmcoreinfo.rst

Sure, will send a v5 to address the same.

Thanks,
Bhupesh