[PATCH v1 3/4] arm64: mm: Introduce linear_map_needs_set() helper

From: Vincent Donnefort

Date: Fri Sep 18 2026 - 09:26:01 EST


can_set_direct_map() is intended as an external query function, but is
also being called internally by map_mem() to initialise
linear_map_requires_bbml3, duplicating the feature checks already
present in force_pte_mapping().

Factor the list of features that require modifying linear map attributes
into a shared helper linear_map_needs_set().

Signed-off-by: Vincent Donnefort <vdonnefort@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
arch/arm64/include/asm/mmu.h | 1 +
arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++--
arch/arm64/mm/pageattr.c | 12 +-----------
3 files changed, 22 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/mmu.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/mmu.h
index 5e1211c540ab..12ed21e2d0d7 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/include/asm/mmu.h
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/mmu.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ extern void create_pgd_mapping(struct mm_struct *mm, phys_addr_t phys,
pgprot_t prot, bool page_mappings_only);
extern void *fixmap_remap_fdt(phys_addr_t dt_phys, int *size, pgprot_t prot);
extern void mark_linear_text_alias_ro(void);
+extern bool linear_map_needs_set(void);
extern int split_kernel_leaf_mapping(unsigned long start, unsigned long end);
extern void linear_map_maybe_split_to_ptes(void);

diff --git a/arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c b/arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c
index 79d90226fd5d..c18ed601f0a8 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c
@@ -776,6 +776,24 @@ static int split_kernel_leaf_mapping_locked(unsigned long addr)
return ret;
}

+/*
+ * True if the linear map needs to be modified for one of the following
+ * features:
+ *
+ * rodata_full and DEBUG_PAGEALLOC need to protect/unprotect pages in
+ * the linear map.
+ *
+ * KFENCE pool needs to protect/unprotect pages in the linear map if
+ * initialized late.
+ *
+ * Realms need to mark pages shared/protected in the linear map.
+ */
+bool linear_map_needs_set(void)
+{
+ return rodata_full || debug_pagealloc_enabled() ||
+ arm64_kfence_can_set_direct_map() || is_realm_world();
+}
+
static inline bool force_pte_mapping(void)
{
const bool bbml3 = system_capabilities_finalized() ?
@@ -785,7 +803,7 @@ static inline bool force_pte_mapping(void)
return true;
if (bbml3)
return false;
- return rodata_full || arm64_kfence_can_set_direct_map() || is_realm_world();
+ return linear_map_needs_set();
}

static DEFINE_MUTEX(pgtable_split_lock);
@@ -1203,7 +1221,7 @@ static void __init map_mem(void)

arm64_kfence_map_pool();

- linear_map_requires_bbml3 = !force_pte_mapping() && can_set_direct_map();
+ linear_map_requires_bbml3 = !force_pte_mapping() && linear_map_needs_set();

if (force_pte_mapping())
flags |= NO_BLOCK_MAPPINGS | NO_CONT_MAPPINGS;
diff --git a/arch/arm64/mm/pageattr.c b/arch/arm64/mm/pageattr.c
index bbe98ac9ad8c..c1ba74eb602f 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/mm/pageattr.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/mm/pageattr.c
@@ -89,17 +89,7 @@ bool rodata_full __ro_after_init = true;

bool can_set_direct_map(void)
{
- /*
- * rodata_full, DEBUG_PAGEALLOC and a Realm guest all require linear
- * map to be mapped at page granularity, so that it is possible to
- * protect/unprotect single pages.
- *
- * KFENCE pool requires page-granular mapping if initialized late.
- *
- * Realms need to make pages shared/protected at page granularity.
- */
- return rodata_full || debug_pagealloc_enabled() ||
- arm64_kfence_can_set_direct_map() || is_realm_world();
+ return linear_map_needs_set();
}

static int update_range_prot(unsigned long start, unsigned long size,
--
2.55.0.1082.g2b9226bbc0-goog