RE: [PATCH] PCI: hv: Fix a bug on removing child devices on the bus

[Long Li]

> Subject: Re: [PATCH] PCI: hv: Fix a bug on removing child devices on the bus
> 
> On Thu, Aug 26, 2021 at 04:50:28PM +0000, Michael Kelley wrote:
> > From: Long Li <longli@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2021
> > 1:25 PM
> >
> > > >
> > > > I thought list_for_each_entry_safe() is for use when list
> > > > manipulation is *not* protected by a lock and you want to safely
> > > > walk the list even if an entry gets removed.  If the list is
> > > > protected by a lock or not subject to contention (as is the case
> > > > here), then
> > > > list_for_each_entry() is the simpler implementation.  The original
> > > > implementation didn't need to use the _safe version because of the spin
> lock.
> > > >
> > > > Or do I have it backwards?
> > > >
> > > > Michael
> > >
> > > I think we need list_for_each_entry_safe() because we delete the list
> elements while going through them:
> > >
> > > Here is the comment on list_for_each_entry_safe():
> > > /**
> > >  * Loop through the list, keeping a backup pointer to the element.
> > > This
> > >  * macro allows for the deletion of a list element while looping
> > > through the
> > >  * list.
> > >  *
> > >  * See list_for_each_entry for more details.
> > >  */
> > >
> >
> > Got it.  Thanks (and to Rob Herring).   I read that comment but
> > with the wrong assumptions and didn't understand it correctly.
> >
> > Interestingly, pci-hyperv.c has another case of looping through this
> > list and removing items where the _safe version is not used.
> > See pci_devices_present_work() where the missing children are moved to
> > a list on the stack.
> 
> That can be converted too, I think.
> 
> The original code is not wrong per-se. It is just not as concise as using
> list_for_each_entry_safe.
> 
> Wei.

I assume we are talking about the following code in pci_devices_present_work():

                list_for_each_entry(hpdev, &hbus->children, list_entry) {
                        if (hpdev->reported_missing) {
                                found = true;
                                put_pcichild(hpdev);
                                list_move_tail(&hpdev->list_entry, &removed);
                                break;
                        }
                }

This code is correct as there is a "break" after a list entry is removed from the list. So there is no need to use the _safe version. This code can be converted to use the _safe version.