Re: [PATCH v3 15/15] Introduce v18 dtb version

[Herve Codina]

Hi David,

On Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:18:03 +1100
David Gibson <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Tue, Oct 13, 2026 at 07:03:47PM +0200, Herve Codina wrote:
> > Hi David, Rob,
> > 
> > On Tue, 13 Oct 2026 18:10:39 +1100
> > David Gibson <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >   
> > > On Fri, Sep 25, 2026 at 03:21:57PM +0200, Herve Codina wrote:  
> > > > Hi David,
> > > > 
> > > > On Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:20:02 +1000
> > > > David Gibson <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > >     
> > > > > On Wed, Aug 26, 2026 at 10:31:46AM +0200, Herve Codina wrote:    
> > > > > > This v18 version will add support for
> > > > > >   - Structured tags.
> > > > > >     Those tags value definition will allow "old" libfdt, dtc and other
> > > > > >     tools to skip unknown tags if encountered in future dtb version.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >     libfdt, dtc and other tools implementing version v18 will be able to
> > > > > >     skip unknown tags available in dtbd generated with later version of
> > > > > >     dtc.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >   - dt_flags header field.
> > > > > >     For now this flag field is set to 0. It is a placeholder for future
> > > > > >     dtb version and could be used to store some dtb related information
> > > > > >     such as the kind of dtb. For instance, the future addons format will
> > > > > >     use this field to clearly identify that the dtb is an addon dtb.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >   - last_comp_version_w header field.
> > > > > >     This field is similar to last_comp_version but for writing.
> > > > > >     It contains the lowest version of the devicetree data structure with
> > > > > >     which the version used can safely perform modifications (taking into
> > > > > >     account following rules related to unknown tags).
> > > > > >     If this lowest version is greater than the last known supported
> > > > > >     version, modification are simply forbidden and lead to a
> > > > > >     FDT_ERR_BADVERSION error.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > For modification, when an unknown tag that can be skipped is involved
> > > > > > and last_comp_version_w allows modifications, the following rules
> > > > > > apply:      
> > > > > 
> > > > > "last_comp_version_w allows modifications" is a bit hard to
> > > > > understand.  What exactly is the version number against which we're
> > > > > comparing that value?    
> > > > 
> > > > We had one last_comp_version.
> > > > 
> > > > Now we have two last_comp_version, one for reading and one for writing.
> > > > We compare again the dtb version supported by our libfdt version.
> > > > 
> > > > This comes from the discussion [1]
> > > > 
> > > > [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAL_JsqLRrbZje_gGZPBDni6StFa+6rdiECtk49on8VfkP7CDvw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx/    
> > > 
> > > Ok, I now see that the logic is you simply fail to proceed with writes
> > > if the library's latest understood version is < last_comp_version_w.
> > > 
> > > As I said elsewhere, this approach doesn't particularly make sense to
> > > me.  If lib_version >= last_comp_version you *can* write, even if it
> > > means stripping everything that's not understood at lib_version.
> > > 
> > > So the real question here is how do we know, for any given structured
> > > tag, what write operations require the version to be downgraded (which
> > > might in turn require this and/or other structured tags to be stripped
> > > entirely).  
> > 
> > The rules is well known.  
> 
> I really don't think they are.  You've proposed one set of rules (as
> code) - although I don't think they quite make sense.  I've proposed
> another.  Other variants are possible.
> 
> > An old libfdt version will strip the tag and
> > downgrade the version. If, when we define a new tags this rules cannot be
> > follow by olf libfdt version, last_comp_version_w will be set to protect
> > against modification.
> > 
> > Maybe the problem is just downgrading the version.
> > 
> > Instead of downgrading it could be better if we mark the dtb "one or more
> > 'unknown' tags have been removed due to a write by an old libfdt version" ?
> > 
> > We have a dt_flags header field. We can dedicate one bit for this marker.
> > 
> > Could it make sense ?  
> 
> I really dislike this idea.  It means we effectively have at least two
> variants of every version which strikes me as pretty confusing.
> 
> > > This is related to (though not the same as) the question of whether
> > > introducing a new structured tags requires a bump to the dtb version
> > > (though not to last_comp_version, of course).
> > > 
> > > Here's the simplest model I can think of.  It's what I'd suggest,
> > > unless one of it's limitations is a showstopper for what you have in mind:
> > > 
> > >  - version and last_comp_version retain their meanings.  No new header
> > >    version.
> > >  - New structured tags *do* require a new version.  If a dtb wants to
> > >    include a specific tag, it must label itself with a version that
> > >    defines that tag.  To enforce that:
> > >     - For read operations, if we encounter a (known) tag that
> > >       doesn't belong in the header version, we throw an error (either
> > >       BADSTRUCTURE, or a new error for the purpose).
> > >        - If version <= FDT_LAST_SUPPORTED_VERSION and we encounter an
> > >          unknown tag that also trips the error (since if it was
> > > 	 defined in this version, we should know about it).
> > >     - For write operations (including in-place), we always error if
> > >       version > FDT_LAST_SUPPORTED_VERSION (done in fdt_rw_probe_()).
> > >     - fdt_open_into() _is_ permitted if version > FDT_LAST_SUPPORTED_VERSION.
> > >       It will strip all unknown structured tags from the entire tree
> > >       and downgrade the version to FDT_LAST_SUPPORTED_VERSION.
> > > 

Ok, my proposal seems to be a no-go and so I will follow your proposal given
above.

Just to clarify, correct me if I am wrong.

When read if we encountered a skippable unknown tag (this is possible if
version > FDT_LAST_SUPPORTED_VERSION), we just skip the tag without any
error.

For write, "we always error if version > FDT_LAST_SUPPORTED_VERSION".
If fdt_open_into() has been called before the write operation, this will
not happen. Indeed, we have downgraded the version to FDT_LAST_SUPPORTED_VERSION
and removed all unknown skippable tags.

Also, during this downgrade process (downgrade version + remove skippable
unknown tags), if a unknown tag that cannot be skipped is found, the downgrade
process fails an return an error.

Best regards,
Hervé