Re: [PATCH v9 00/21] Generic page walk and ptdump

[Thomas Gleixner]

On Wed, 24 Jul 2019, Steven Price wrote:
> On 23/07/2019 11:16, Mark Rutland wrote:
> > Are there any visible changes to the arm64 output?
> 
> arm64 output shouldn't change. I've confirmed that "efi_page_tables" is
> identical on a Juno before/after the change. "kernel_page_tables"
> obviously will vary depending on the exact layout of memory, but the
> format isn't changed.
> 
> x86 output does change due to patch 14. In this case the change is
> removing the lines from the output of the form...
> 
> > 0xffffffff84800000-0xffffffffa0000000         440M                               pmd
> 
> ...which are unpopulated areas of the memory map. Populated lines which
> have attributes are unchanged.

Having the hole size and the level in the dump is a very conveniant thing.

Right now we have:

0xffffffffc0427000-0xffffffffc042b000          16K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc042b000-0xffffffffc042e000          12K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc042e000-0xffffffffc042f000           4K                               pte
0xffffffffc042f000-0xffffffffc0430000           4K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0430000-0xffffffffc0431000           4K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0431000-0xffffffffc0433000           8K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0433000-0xffffffffc0434000           4K                               pte
0xffffffffc0434000-0xffffffffc0436000           8K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0436000-0xffffffffc0438000           8K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0438000-0xffffffffc043a000           8K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc043a000-0xffffffffc043f000          20K                               pte
0xffffffffc043f000-0xffffffffc0444000          20K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0444000-0xffffffffc0447000          12K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0447000-0xffffffffc0449000           8K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0449000-0xffffffffc044f000          24K                               pte
0xffffffffc044f000-0xffffffffc0450000           4K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0450000-0xffffffffc0451000           4K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0451000-0xffffffffc0453000           8K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0453000-0xffffffffc0458000          20K                               pte
0xffffffffc0458000-0xffffffffc0459000           4K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0459000-0xffffffffc045b000           8K     ro                     NX pte

with your change this becomes:

0xffffffffc0427000-0xffffffffc042b000          16K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc042b000-0xffffffffc042e000          12K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc042f000-0xffffffffc0430000           4K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0430000-0xffffffffc0431000           4K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0431000-0xffffffffc0433000           8K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0434000-0xffffffffc0436000           8K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0436000-0xffffffffc0438000           8K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0438000-0xffffffffc043a000           8K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc043f000-0xffffffffc0444000          20K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0444000-0xffffffffc0447000          12K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0447000-0xffffffffc0449000           8K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc044f000-0xffffffffc0450000           4K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0450000-0xffffffffc0451000           4K     ro                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0451000-0xffffffffc0453000           8K     RW                     NX pte
0xffffffffc0458000-0xffffffffc0459000           4K     ro                     x  pte
0xffffffffc0459000-0xffffffffc045b000           8K     ro                     NX pte

which is 5 lines less, but a pain to figure out the size of the holes. And
it becomes even more painful when the holes go across different mapping
levels.

>From your 14/N changelog:

> This keeps the output shorter and will help with a future change

I don't care about shorter at all. It's debug information.

> switching to using the generic page walk code as we no longer care about
> the 'level' that the page table holes are at.

I really do not understand why you think that WE no longer care about the
level (and the size) of the holes. I assume that WE is pluralis majestatis
and not meant to reflect the opinion of you and everyone else.

I have no idea whether you ever had to do serious work with PT dump, but I
surely have at various occasions including the PTI mess and I definitely
found the size and the level information from holes very useful.

Thanks,

	tglx