Re: [PATCH] fs: assert on ->i_count in iput_final()

From: Jan Kara

Date: Wed Oct 01 2025 - 09:08:25 EST


On Wed 01-10-25 14:12:13, Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 1, 2025 at 2:07 PM Jan Kara <jack@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
> > > index ec9339024ac3..fa82cb810af4 100644
> > > --- a/fs/inode.c
> > > +++ b/fs/inode.c
> > > @@ -1879,6 +1879,7 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
> > > int drop;
> > >
> > > WARN_ON(inode->i_state & I_NEW);
> > > + VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
> >
> > This seems pointless given when iput_final() is called...
> >
>
> This and the other check explicitly "wrap" the ->drop_inode call.

I understand but given iput() has just decremented i_count to 0 before
calling iput_final() this beginning of the "wrap" looks pretty pointless to
me.

> > > if (op->drop_inode)
> > > drop = op->drop_inode(inode);
> > > @@ -1893,6 +1894,12 @@ static void iput_final(struct inode *inode)
> > > return;
> > > }
> > >
> > > + /*
> > > + * Re-check ->i_count in case the ->drop_inode() hooks played games.
> > > + * Note we only execute this if the verdict was to drop the inode.
> > > + */
> > > + VFS_BUG_ON_INODE(atomic_read(&inode->i_count) != 0, inode);
> > > +
> >
> > I'm not sure this can catch much but OK...
> >
>
> It can catch drop routines which bumped the ref but did not release
> it, or which indicated to continue with drop while someone else
> snatched the reference.

Right.

> Preferaby the APIs would prevent that in the first place, but there is
> quite a bit of shit-shoveling before that happens.

Agreed.

Honza

--
Jan Kara <jack@xxxxxxxx>
SUSE Labs, CR