[PATCH RFC DRAFT POC 06/11] fs: add file_open_init()
From: Christian Brauner
Date: Tue Mar 03 2026 - 08:58:06 EST
Add a helper to allow the few users that need it to open a file in
init's fs_struct from a kernel thread.
Signed-off-by: Christian Brauner <brauner@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/open.c | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
include/linux/fs.h | 1 +
2 files changed, 26 insertions(+)
diff --git a/fs/open.c b/fs/open.c
index 91f1139591ab..bc97d66b6348 100644
--- a/fs/open.c
+++ b/fs/open.c
@@ -1342,6 +1342,31 @@ struct file *filp_open(const char *filename, int flags, umode_t mode)
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL(filp_open);
+/**
+ * filp_open_init - open file resolving paths against init's root
+ *
+ * @filename: path to open
+ * @flags: open flags as per the open(2) second argument
+ * @mode: mode for the new file if O_CREAT is set, else ignored
+ *
+ * Same as filp_open() but path resolution is done relative to init's
+ * root (using pid1_fs) instead of current->fs. Intended for kernel
+ * threads that need to open files by absolute path after being rooted
+ * in nullfs.
+ */
+struct file *filp_open_init(const char *filename, int flags, umode_t mode)
+{
+ struct open_flags op;
+ struct open_how how = build_open_how(flags, mode);
+ int err = build_open_flags(&how, &op);
+ if (err)
+ return ERR_PTR(err);
+ op.lookup_flags |= LOOKUP_IN_INIT;
+ CLASS(filename_kernel, name)(filename);
+ return do_file_open(AT_FDCWD, name, &op);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(filp_open_init);
+
struct file *file_open_root(const struct path *root,
const char *filename, int flags, umode_t mode)
{
diff --git a/include/linux/fs.h b/include/linux/fs.h
index 8b3dd145b25e..bc0430e72c74 100644
--- a/include/linux/fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/fs.h
@@ -2459,6 +2459,7 @@ int do_sys_open(int dfd, const char __user *filename, int flags,
umode_t mode);
extern struct file *file_open_name(struct filename *, int, umode_t);
extern struct file *filp_open(const char *, int, umode_t);
+extern struct file *filp_open_init(const char *, int, umode_t);
extern struct file *file_open_root(const struct path *,
const char *, int, umode_t);
static inline struct file *file_open_root_mnt(struct vfsmount *mnt,
--
2.47.3