Re: [PATCH v2 12/39] x86/mm: Update ptep_set_wrprotect() and pmdp_set_wrprotect() for transition from _PAGE_DIRTY to _PAGE_COW

[Nadav Amit]

On Oct 3, 2022, at 3:28 PM, Edgecombe, Rick P <rick.p.edgecombe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Mon, 2022-10-03 at 11:11 -0700, Nadav Amit wrote:
>> Did you have a look at ptep_set_access_flags() and friends and
>> checked they
>> do not need to be changed too? 
> 
> ptep_set_access_flags() doesn't actually set any additional dirty bits
> on x86, so I think it's ok.

Are you sure about that? (lost my confidence today so I am hesitant).

Looking on insert_pfn(), I see:

                        entry = maybe_mkwrite(pte_mkdirty(entry), vma);
                        if (ptep_set_access_flags(vma, addr, pte, entry, 1)) ...

This appears to set the dirty bit while potentially leaving the write-bit
clear. This is the scenario you want to avoid, no?

>> Perhaps you should at least add some
>> assertion just to ensure nothing breaks.
> 
> You mean in ptep_set_access_flags()? I think some assertions would be
> really great, I'm just not sure where.

Yes, on x86’s version of the function.