Re: [PATCH v12 06/12] livepatch: Simplify API by removing registration step

From: Petr Mladek
Date: Fri Oct 12 2018 - 09:01:25 EST


On Wed 2018-09-05 11:34:06, Miroslav Benes wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Aug 2018, Petr Mladek wrote:
> > Also the API and logic is much easier. It is enough to call
> > klp_enable_patch() in module_init() call. The patch patch can be disabled
> > by writing '0' into /sys/kernel/livepatch/<patch>/enabled. Then the module
> > can be removed once the transition finishes and sysfs interface is freed.
>
> I think it would be good to discuss our sysfs interface here as well.
>
> Writing '1' to enabled attribute now makes sense only when you need to
> reverse an unpatching transition. Writing '0' means "disable" or a
> reversion again.
>
> Wouldn't be better to split it to two different attributes? Something like
> "disable" and "reverse"? It could be more intuitive.
>
> Maybe we'd also find out that even patch->enabled member is not useful
> anymore in such case.

I though about this as well. I kept "enabled" because:

+ It keeps the public interface the same as before. Most people
would not notice any change in the behavior except maybe that
the interface disappears when the patch gets disabled.

+ The reverse operation makes most sense when the transition
cannot get finished. In theory, it might be problem to
finish even the reversed one. People might want to
reverse once again and force it. Then "reverse" file
might be confusing. They might not know in which direction
they do the reverse.


> > @@ -846,17 +740,8 @@ static int __klp_enable_patch(struct klp_patch *patch)
> > if (WARN_ON(patch->enabled))
> > return -EINVAL;
> >
> > - /* enforce stacking: only the first disabled patch can be enabled */
> > - if (patch->list.prev != &klp_patches &&
> > - !list_prev_entry(patch, list)->enabled)
> > - return -EBUSY;
> > -
> > - /*
> > - * A reference is taken on the patch module to prevent it from being
> > - * unloaded.
> > - */
> > - if (!try_module_get(patch->mod))
> > - return -ENODEV;
> > + if (!patch->kobj.state_initialized)
> > + return -EINVAL;
>
> I think the check is not needed here. __klp_enable_patch() is called right after
> klp_init_patch() in klp_enable_patch().

I would keep it. Someone might want to call this also from other
location. Even we used to do it from enable_store() ;-)

Best Regards,
Petr