[RFC PATCH v2 0/7] tracing/probes: Add more typecast features

From: Masami Hiramatsu (Google)

Date: Tue Jun 09 2026 - 20:54:02 EST


Hi,

Here is the 2nd version of series to introduce more typecast features
to probe events. The previous version is here:

https://lore.kernel.org/all/178092865666.163648.10457567771536160909.stgit@devnote2/

In this version, I fixed various problems Sashiko reviewed and add
a fix of sample code. Also drop +CPU/PCPU() and introduce this_cpu_read().


Steve introduced BTF typecast feature for eprobe[1].
This series extends it and add more options:

1. Expanding BTF typecast to kprobe and fprobe.
(currently only function entry/exit)

2. Introduce container_of like typecast. This adds a "assigned
member" option to the typecast.

(STRUCT,MEMBER)VAR->ANOTHER_MEMBER

This casts VAR to STRUCT type but the VAR is as the address
of STRUCT.MEMBER. In C, it is:

container_of(VAR, STRUCT, MEMBER)->ANOTHER_MEMBER

3. Support nested typecast, e.g.

(STRUCT)((STRUCT2)VAR->MEMBER2)->MEMBER

the nest level must be smaller than 3.

4. Add $current variable to point "current" task_struct.
This is useful with typecast, e.g.

(task_struct)$current->pid

5. per-cpu dereference support.

Intrdouce this_cpu_read(VAR) and this_cpu_ptr(VAR) to
access per-cpu data on the current CPU (accessing other CPU
data is not stable, because it can be changed.)

You can access the member of per-cpu data structure using
typecast like:

(STRUCT)this_cpu_ptr(VAR)->MEMBER


And added a test script to test part of them.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260601130746.2139d926@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/


---

Masami Hiramatsu (Google) (7):
tracing/events: Fix to check the simple_tsk_fn creation
tracing/probes: Support typecast for various probe events
tracing/probes: Support nested typecast
tracing/probes: Support field specifier option for typecast
tracing/probes: Add $current variable support
tracing/probes: Add this_cpu_read() and this_cpu_ptr() dereference method to fetcharg
tracing/probes: Add a new testcase for BTF typecasts


Documentation/trace/eprobetrace.rst | 10
Documentation/trace/fprobetrace.rst | 10
Documentation/trace/kprobetrace.rst | 11 +
kernel/trace/trace.c | 6
kernel/trace/trace_probe.c | 404 +++++++++++++++-----
kernel/trace/trace_probe.h | 18 +
kernel/trace/trace_probe_tmpl.h | 33 +-
samples/trace_events/trace-events-sample.c | 56 ++-
samples/trace_events/trace-events-sample.h | 34 ++
.../ftrace/test.d/dynevent/btf_probe_event.tc | 51 +++
10 files changed, 509 insertions(+), 124 deletions(-)
create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/ftrace/test.d/dynevent/btf_probe_event.tc

--
Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@xxxxxxxxxx>