[RFC v3 22/23] Documentation: PowerPC specific updates to memory protection keys
From: Ram Pai
Date: Wed Jun 21 2017 - 21:40:55 EST
Add documentation updates that capture PowerPC specific changes.
Signed-off-by: Ram Pai <linuxram@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt | 65 +++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
1 file changed, 45 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt b/Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt
index b643045..965ad75 100644
--- a/Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt
+++ b/Documentation/vm/protection-keys.txt
@@ -1,21 +1,46 @@
-Memory Protection Keys for Userspace (PKU aka PKEYs) is a CPU feature
-which will be found on future Intel CPUs.
+Memory Protection Keys for Userspace (PKU aka PKEYs) is a CPU feature found in
+new generation of intel CPUs and on PowerPC 7 and higher CPUs.
Memory Protection Keys provides a mechanism for enforcing page-based
-protections, but without requiring modification of the page tables
-when an application changes protection domains. It works by
-dedicating 4 previously ignored bits in each page table entry to a
-"protection key", giving 16 possible keys.
-
-There is also a new user-accessible register (PKRU) with two separate
-bits (Access Disable and Write Disable) for each key. Being a CPU
-register, PKRU is inherently thread-local, potentially giving each
-thread a different set of protections from every other thread.
-
-There are two new instructions (RDPKRU/WRPKRU) for reading and writing
-to the new register. The feature is only available in 64-bit mode,
-even though there is theoretically space in the PAE PTEs. These
-permissions are enforced on data access only and have no effect on
+protections, but without requiring modification of the page tables when an
+application changes protection domains.
+
+
+On Intel:
+
+ It works by dedicating 4 previously ignored bits in each page table
+ entry to a "protection key", giving 16 possible keys.
+
+ There is also a new user-accessible register (PKRU) with two separate
+ bits (Access Disable and Write Disable) for each key. Being a CPU
+ register, PKRU is inherently thread-local, potentially giving each
+ thread a different set of protections from every other thread.
+
+ There are two new instructions (RDPKRU/WRPKRU) for reading and writing
+ to the new register. The feature is only available in 64-bit mode,
+ even though there is theoretically space in the PAE PTEs. These
+ permissions are enforced on data access only and have no effect on
+ instruction fetches.
+
+
+On PowerPC:
+
+ It works by dedicating 5 page table entry bits to a "protection key",
+ giving 32 possible keys.
+
+ There is a user-accessible register (AMR) with two separate bits;
+ Access Disable and Write Disable, for each key. Being a CPU
+ register, AMR is inherently thread-local, potentially giving each
+ thread a different set of protections from every other thread. NOTE:
+ Disabling read permission does not disable write and vice-versa.
+
+ The feature is available on 64-bit HPTE mode only.
+ 'mtspr 0xd, mem' reads the AMR register
+ 'mfspr mem, 0xd' writes into the AMR register.
+
+
+
+Permissions are enforced on data access only and have no effect on
instruction fetches.
=========================== Syscalls ===========================
@@ -28,9 +53,9 @@ There are 3 system calls which directly interact with pkeys:
unsigned long prot, int pkey);
Before a pkey can be used, it must first be allocated with
-pkey_alloc(). An application calls the WRPKRU instruction
+pkey_alloc(). An application calls the WRPKRU/AMR instruction
directly in order to change access permissions to memory covered
-with a key. In this example WRPKRU is wrapped by a C function
+with a key. In this example WRPKRU/AMR is wrapped by a C function
called pkey_set().
int real_prot = PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE;
@@ -52,11 +77,11 @@ is no longer in use:
munmap(ptr, PAGE_SIZE);
pkey_free(pkey);
-(Note: pkey_set() is a wrapper for the RDPKRU and WRPKRU instructions.
+(Note: pkey_set() is a wrapper for the RDPKRU,WRPKRU or AMR instructions.
An example implementation can be found in
tools/testing/selftests/x86/protection_keys.c)
-=========================== Behavior ===========================
+=========================== Behavior =================================
The kernel attempts to make protection keys consistent with the
behavior of a plain mprotect(). For instance if you do this:
--
1.8.3.1