Re: [PATCH 03/10] fs: use path_clone() in path_init()

[NeilBrown]

On Mon, 14 Sep 2026, Mateusz Guzik wrote:
> No functional changes.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Mateusz Guzik <mjguzik@xxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  fs/namei.c | 12 ++++++------
>  1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
> index c8754c7ba8be..11937cfa8c7f 100644
> --- a/fs/namei.c
> +++ b/fs/namei.c
> @@ -2745,13 +2745,13 @@ static const char *path_init(struct nameidata *nd, unsigned flags)
>  		struct inode *inode = root->d_inode;
>  		if (*s && unlikely(!d_can_lookup(root)))
>  			return ERR_PTR(-ENOTDIR);
> -		nd->path = nd->root;
>  		nd->inode = inode;
>  		if (flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
> +			nd->path = nd->root;
>  			nd->seq = read_seqcount_begin(&nd->path.dentry->d_seq);
>  			nd->root_seq = nd->seq;
>  		} else {
> -			path_get(&nd->path);
> +			path_clone(&nd->root, &nd->path);

If path_clone() we inline, the compiler possibly detect that both
branches of this if had the same assignment, and could move it before
the "if", restoring code size.

But I think the code does look a bit nicer this way.

NeilBrown


>  		}
>  		return s;
>  	}
> @@ -2801,23 +2801,23 @@ static const char *path_init(struct nameidata *nd, unsigned flags)
>  		if (*s && unlikely(!d_can_lookup(dentry)))
>  			return ERR_PTR(-ENOTDIR);
>  
> -		nd->path = fd_file(f)->f_path;
>  		if (flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
> +			nd->path = fd_file(f)->f_path;
>  			nd->inode = nd->path.dentry->d_inode;
>  			nd->seq = read_seqcount_begin(&nd->path.dentry->d_seq);
>  		} else {
> -			path_get(&nd->path);
> +			path_clone(&fd_file(f)->f_path, &nd->path);
>  			nd->inode = nd->path.dentry->d_inode;
>  		}
>  	}
>  
>  	/* For scoped-lookups we need to set the root to the dirfd as well. */
>  	if (unlikely(flags & LOOKUP_IS_SCOPED)) {
> -		nd->root = nd->path;
>  		if (flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
> +			nd->root = nd->path;
>  			nd->root_seq = nd->seq;
>  		} else {
> -			path_get(&nd->root);
> +			path_clone(&nd->path, &nd->root);
>  			nd->state |= ND_ROOT_GRABBED;
>  		}
>  	}
> -- 
> 2.53.0
> 
> 
>