Re: [PATCH v5 19/20] rust: io: add copying methods

From: Alexandre Courbot

Date: Sun Jul 05 2026 - 09:58:49 EST


On Fri Jun 26, 2026 at 11:45 PM JST, Gary Guo wrote:
<...>
> diff --git a/rust/kernel/io.rs b/rust/kernel/io.rs
> index aa82736253ac..b5ac3ac86bbd 100644
> --- a/rust/kernel/io.rs
> +++ b/rust/kernel/io.rs
> @@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
> //! C header: [`include/asm-generic/io.h`](srctree/include/asm-generic/io.h)
>
> use core::{
> - marker::PhantomData, //
> + marker::PhantomData,
> + mem::MaybeUninit, //
> };
>
> use crate::{
> @@ -271,6 +272,61 @@ pub trait IoCapable<T>: IoBackend {
> fn io_write<'a>(view: Self::View<'a, T>, value: T);
> }
>
> +/// Trait indicating that an I/O backend supports memory copy operations.
> +pub trait IoCopyable: IoBackend {
> + /// Copy contents of `view` to `buffer`.
> + ///
> + /// # Safety
> + ///
> + /// - `buffer` is valid for volatile write for `view.size()` bytes.
> + unsafe fn copy_from_io(view: Self::View<'_, [u8]>, buffer: *mut u8);

Should we also define whether overlapping regions are allowed or not? I
guess the shape of the API assumes that the regions don't overlap, but
it might be useful to state it clearly.

> +
> + /// Copy `size` bytes from `buffer` to `address`.

There are no `size` or `address` parameters.

> + ///
> + /// # Safety
> + ///
> + /// - `buffer` is valid for volatile read for `view.size()` bytes.
> + unsafe fn copy_to_io(view: Self::View<'_, [u8]>, buffer: *const u8);
> +
> + /// Copy from `view` and return the value.
> + #[inline]
> + fn copy_read<T: FromBytes>(view: Self::View<'_, T>) -> T {
> + // Project `self` to `[u8]`.
> + let ptr = Self::as_ptr(view);
> + // SAFETY: This is a identity projection.
> + let slice_view = unsafe {
> + Self::project_view(
> + view,
> + core::ptr::slice_from_raw_parts_mut::<u8>(ptr.cast(), size_of::<T>()),
> + )
> + };
> +
> + let mut buf = MaybeUninit::<T>::uninit();
> + // SAFETY: `buf.as_mut_ptr()` is valid for write for `size_of::<T>()` bytes.
> + unsafe { Self::copy_from_io(slice_view, buf.as_mut_ptr().cast()) };
> + // SAFETY: T: FromBytes` guarantee that all bit patterns are valid.

Missing `.

> + unsafe { buf.assume_init() }
> + }
> +
> + /// Copy `value` to `view`.
> + #[inline]
> + fn copy_write<T: IntoBytes>(view: Self::View<'_, T>, value: T) {
> + // Project `self` to `[u8]`.
> + let ptr = Self::as_ptr(view);
> + // SAFETY: This is a identity projection.
> + let slice_view = unsafe {
> + Self::project_view(
> + view,
> + core::ptr::slice_from_raw_parts_mut::<u8>(ptr.cast(), size_of::<T>()),
> + )
> + };
> +
> + // SAFETY: `&raw const value` is valid for read for `size_of::<T>()` bytes.
> + unsafe { Self::copy_to_io(slice_view, (&raw const value).cast()) };
> + core::mem::forget(value);

Maybe we should mention in the doccomment that the destructor of `value`
is not run, neither by the end of this method nor at any point in the
future IIUC, because the `View` doesn't own the object that has been
copied into it. Or we can sidestep the problem by taking a `value: &T`.

> + }
> +}
> +
> /// Describes a given I/O location: its offset, width, and type to convert the raw value from and
> /// into.
> ///
> @@ -350,6 +406,24 @@ fn size(self) -> usize {
> KnownSize::size(Self::Backend::as_ptr(self.as_view()))
> }
>
> + /// Returns the length of the slice in number of elements.
> + #[inline]
> + fn len<T>(self) -> usize
> + where
> + Self: Io<'a, Target = [T]>,
> + {
> + Self::Backend::as_ptr(self.as_view()).len()
> + }
> +
> + /// Returns `true` if the slice has a length of 0.
> + #[inline]
> + fn is_empty<T>(self) -> bool
> + where
> + Self: Io<'a, Target = [T]>,
> + {
> + self.len() == 0
> + }

nit: these two could have been introduced alongside `size` in patch 12,
or all 3 in the present patch. It's a bit inconsistent that `size` stays
unused all this time, while these two related ones are introduced right
when they become useful.

> +
> /// Try to convert into a different typed I/O view.
> ///
> /// The target type must be of same or smaller size to current type, and the current view must
> @@ -437,6 +511,115 @@ fn write_val(self, value: Self::Target)
> Self::Backend::io_write(self.as_view(), value)
> }
>
> + /// Copy-read from I/O memory.
> + ///
> + /// This is equivalent to reading from the I/O memory with byte-wise copy, although the actual
> + /// implementation might be more efficient. There is no atomicity guarantee. Note that for some
> + /// backends (e.g. `Mmio`), this can read different value compared to [`read_val`] as
> + /// byte-swapping is not performed.
> + ///
> + /// [`read_val`]: Io::read_val
> + ///
> + /// # Examples
> + ///
> + /// ```no_run
> + /// # use kernel::io::*;
> + /// # fn test_copy_read(mmio: Mmio<'_, [u8; 6]>) {
> + /// // let mmio: Mmio<'_, [u8; 6]>;
> + /// let val: [u8; 6] = mmio.copy_read();
> + /// # }
> + /// ```
> + #[inline]
> + fn copy_read(self) -> Self::Target
> + where
> + Self::Backend: IoCopyable,
> + Self::Target: Sized + FromBytes,
> + {
> + Self::Backend::copy_read(self.as_view())
> + }
> +
> + /// Copy-write to I/O memory.
> + ///
> + /// This is equivalent to writing to the I/O memory with byte-wise copy, although the actual
> + /// implementation might be more efficient. There is no atomicity guarantee. Note that for some
> + /// backends (e.g. `Mmio`), this can read different value compared to [`write_val`] as

"this can write" I presume (copy/paste omission?)

> + /// byte-swapping is not performed.
> + ///
> + /// [`write_val`]: Io::write_val
> + ///
> + /// # Examples
> + ///
> + /// ```no_run
> + /// # use kernel::io::*;
> + /// # fn test_copy_write(mmio: Mmio<'_, [u8; 6]>) {
> + /// // let mmio: Mmio<'_, [u8; 6]>;
> + /// mmio.copy_write([0xAA, 0xBB, 0xCC, 0xDD, 0xEE, 0xFF]);
> + /// # }
> + /// ```
> + #[inline]
> + fn copy_write(self, value: Self::Target)
> + where
> + Self::Backend: IoCopyable,
> + Self::Target: Sized + IntoBytes,
> + {
> + Self::Backend::copy_write(self.as_view(), value);
> + }
> +
> + /// Copy bytes from slice to I/O memory.

"from `data`" maybe.

> + ///
> + /// The length of `self` must be the same as `data`, similar to [`[u8]::copy_from_slice`].
> + ///
> + /// # Examples
> + ///
> + /// ```no_run
> + /// # use kernel::io::*;
> + /// # fn test_copy_write(mmio: Mmio<'_, [u8]>) {
> + /// // let mmio: Mmio<'_, [u8]>;
> + /// mmio.copy_from_slice(&[0xAA, 0xBB, 0xCC, 0xDD, 0xEE, 0xFF]);
> + /// # }
> + /// ```
> + #[inline]
> + fn copy_from_slice(self, data: &[u8])
> + where
> + Self::Backend: IoCopyable,
> + Self: Io<'a, Target = [u8]>,
> + {
> + assert_eq!(self.len(), data.len());

I think this one deserves an entry in a `# Panics` section of the
doccomment (same for all other asserts).

> +
> + // SAFETY: `data.as_ptr()` is valid for read for `self.size()` bytes.
> + unsafe {
> + Self::Backend::copy_to_io(self.as_view(), data.as_ptr());
> + }
> + }
> +
> + /// Copy bytes from I/O memory to slice.

"to `data`".

> + ///
> + /// The length of `self` must be the same as `data`, similar to [`[u8]::copy_from_slice`].
> + ///
> + /// # Examples
> + ///
> + /// ```no_run
> + /// # use kernel::io::*;
> + /// # fn test_copy_write(mmio: Mmio<'_, [u8]>) {
> + /// // let mmio: Mmio<'_, [u8]>;
> + /// let mut buf = [0; 6];
> + /// mmio.copy_to_slice(&mut buf);
> + /// # }
> + /// ```
> + #[inline]
> + fn copy_to_slice(self, data: &mut [u8])
> + where
> + Self::Backend: IoCopyable,
> + Self: Io<'a, Target = [u8]>,
> + {
> + assert_eq!(self.len(), data.len());
> +
> + // SAFETY: `data.as_ptr()` is valid for write for `self.size()` bytes.

Should be `data.as_mut_ptr()`.