[PATCH] iov_iter: kernel-doc import_iovec() and rw_copy_check_uvector()

[Vegard Nossum]

Both import_iovec() and rw_copy_check_uvector() take an array
(typically small and on-stack) which is used to hold an iovec array copy
from userspace. This is to avoid an expensive memory allocation in the
fast path (i.e. few iovec elements).

The caller may have to check whether these functions actually used
the provided buffer or allocated a new one -- but this differs between
the too. Let's just add a kernel doc to clarify what the semantics are
for each function.

Signed-off-by: Vegard Nossum <vegard.nossum@xxxxxxxxxx>

---
I'm actually not sure how to build this, so it's untested for now.
---
 fs/read_write.c | 29 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 lib/iov_iter.c  | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 51 insertions(+)

diff --git a/fs/read_write.c b/fs/read_write.c
index 66215a7..190e0d36 100644
--- a/fs/read_write.c
+++ b/fs/read_write.c
@@ -730,6 +730,35 @@ static ssize_t do_loop_readv_writev(struct file *filp, struct iov_iter *iter,
 /* A write operation does a read from user space and vice versa */
 #define vrfy_dir(type) ((type) == READ ? VERIFY_WRITE : VERIFY_READ)
 
+/**
+ * rw_copy_check_uvector() - Copy an array of &struct iovec from userspace
+ *     into the kernel and check that it is valid.
+ *
+ * @type: One of %CHECK_IOVEC_ONLY, %READ, or %WRITE.
+ * @uvector: Pointer to the userspace array.
+ * @nr_segs: Number of elements in userspace array.
+ * @fast_segs: Number of elements in @fast_pointer.
+ * @fast_pointer: Pointer to (usually small on-stack) kernel array.
+ * @ret_pointer: (output parameter) Pointer to a variable that will point to
+ *     either @fast_pointer, a newly allocated kernel array, or NULL,
+ *     depending on which array was used.
+ *
+ * This function copies an array of &struct iovec of @nr_segs from
+ * userspace into the kernel and checks that each element is valid (e.g.
+ * it does not point to a kernel address or cause overflow by being too
+ * large, etc.).
+ *
+ * As an optimization, the caller may provide a pointer to a small
+ * on-stack array in @fast_pointer, typically %UIO_FASTIOV elements long
+ * (the size of this array, or 0 if unused, should be given in @fast_segs).
+ *
+ * @ret_pointer will always point to the array that was used, so the
+ * caller must take care not to call kfree() on it e.g. in case the
+ * @fast_pointer array was used and it was allocated on the stack.
+ *
+ * Return: The total number of bytes covered by the iovec array on success
+ *   or a negative error code on error.
+ */
 ssize_t rw_copy_check_uvector(int type, const struct iovec __user * uvector,
 			      unsigned long nr_segs, unsigned long fast_segs,
 			      struct iovec *fast_pointer,
diff --git a/lib/iov_iter.c b/lib/iov_iter.c
index 7e3138c..ae45f8d 100644
--- a/lib/iov_iter.c
+++ b/lib/iov_iter.c
@@ -749,6 +749,28 @@ const void *dup_iter(struct iov_iter *new, struct iov_iter *old, gfp_t flags)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(dup_iter);
 
+/**
+ * import_iovec() - Copy an array of &struct iovec from userspace
+ *     into the kernel, check that it is valid, and initialize a new
+ *     &struct iov_iter iterator to access it.
+ *
+ * @type: One of %READ or %WRITE.
+ * @uvector: Pointer to the userspace array.
+ * @nr_segs: Number of elements in userspace array.
+ * @fast_segs: Number of elements in @iov.
+ * @iov: (input and output parameter) Pointer to pointer to (usually small
+ *     on-stack) kernel array.
+ * @i: Pointer to iterator that will be initialized on success.
+ *
+ * If the array pointed to by *@iov is large enough to hold all @nr_segs,
+ * then this function places %NULL in *@iov on return. Otherwise, a new
+ * array will be allocated and the result placed in *@iov. This means that
+ * the caller may call kfree() on *@iov regardless of whether the small
+ * on-stack array was used or not (and regardless of whether this function
+ * returns an error or not).
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success or negative error code on error.
+ */
 int import_iovec(int type, const struct iovec __user * uvector,
 		 unsigned nr_segs, unsigned fast_segs,
 		 struct iovec **iov, struct iov_iter *i)
-- 
2.10.0.rc0.1.g07c9292