Re: [PATCH net] tcp: Export tcp_write_queue_purge()

From: Eric Dumazet
Date: Thu Jul 30 2020 - 17:33:01 EST


On Thu, Jul 30, 2020 at 2:24 PM Florian Fainelli <f.fainelli@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> On 7/30/20 2:16 PM, Eric Dumazet wrote:
> > On Thu, Jul 30, 2020 at 2:07 PM Florian Fainelli <f.fainelli@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>
> >> After tcp_write_queue_purge() got uninlined with commit ac3f09ba3e49
> >> ("tcp: uninline tcp_write_queue_purge()"), it became no longer possible
> >> to reference this symbol from kernel modules.
> >>
> >> Fixes: ac3f09ba3e49 ("tcp: uninline tcp_write_queue_purge()")
> >> Signed-off-by: Florian Fainelli <f.fainelli@xxxxxxxxx>
> >> ---
> >> net/ipv4/tcp.c | 1 +
> >> 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
> >>
> >> diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp.c b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
> >> index 6f0caf9a866d..ea9d296a8380 100644
> >> --- a/net/ipv4/tcp.c
> >> +++ b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
> >> @@ -2626,6 +2626,7 @@ void tcp_write_queue_purge(struct sock *sk)
> >> tcp_sk(sk)->packets_out = 0;
> >> inet_csk(sk)->icsk_backoff = 0;
> >> }
> >> +EXPORT_SYMBOL(tcp_write_queue_purge);
> >>
> >> int tcp_disconnect(struct sock *sk, int flags)
> >> {
> >> --
> >> 2.17.1
> >>
> >
> > Hmmm.... which module would need this exactly ?
>
> None in tree unfortunately, and I doubt it would be published one day.
> For consistency one could argue that given it used to be accessible, and
> other symbols within net/ipv4/tcp.c are also exported, so this should
> one be. Not going to hold that line of argumentation more than in this
> email, if you object to it, that would be completely fine with me.

:)

>
> >
> > How come it took 3 years to discover this issue ?
>
> We just upgraded our downstream kernel from 4.9 to 5.4 and this is why
> it took so long.

It is not because TCP used an inline function in the past that it
means we have to keep
the equivalent function available for all possible out-of-tree modules.

Sorry, we can not accept that out-of-tree modules use TCP stack like that.

You will have to carry this change locally. Or even better get rid of it.