[PATCH kcsan 1/2] kcsan: Add example to data_race() kerneldoc header

From: Paul E. McKenney
Date: Tue Jun 04 2024 - 16:40:23 EST


Although the data_race() kerneldoc header accurately states what it does,
some of the implications and usage patterns are non-obvious. Therefore,
add a brief locking example and also state how to have KCSAN ignore
accesses while also preventing the compiler from folding, spindling,
or otherwise mutilating the access.

[ paulmck: Apply Bart Van Assche feedback. ]
[ paulmck: Apply feedback from Marco Elver. ]

Reported-by: Bart Van Assche <bvanassche@xxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Marco Elver <elver@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Breno Leitao <leitao@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Jens Axboe <axboe@xxxxxxxxx>
---
include/linux/compiler.h | 10 +++++++-
.../Documentation/access-marking.txt | 24 ++++++++++++++++++-
2 files changed, 32 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/linux/compiler.h b/include/linux/compiler.h
index 8c252e073bd81..68a24a3a69799 100644
--- a/include/linux/compiler.h
+++ b/include/linux/compiler.h
@@ -194,9 +194,17 @@ void ftrace_likely_update(struct ftrace_likely_data *f, int val,
* This data_race() macro is useful for situations in which data races
* should be forgiven. One example is diagnostic code that accesses
* shared variables but is not a part of the core synchronization design.
+ * For example, if accesses to a given variable are protected by a lock,
+ * except for diagnostic code, then the accesses under the lock should
+ * be plain C-language accesses and those in the diagnostic code should
+ * use data_race(). This way, KCSAN will complain if buggy lockless
+ * accesses to that variable are introduced, even if the buggy accesses
+ * are protected by READ_ONCE() or WRITE_ONCE().
*
* This macro *does not* affect normal code generation, but is a hint
- * to tooling that data races here are to be ignored.
+ * to tooling that data races here are to be ignored. If the access must
+ * be atomic *and* KCSAN should ignore the access, use both data_race()
+ * and READ_ONCE(), for example, data_race(READ_ONCE(x)).
*/
#define data_race(expr) \
({ \
diff --git a/tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt b/tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt
index 65778222183e3..3377d01bb512c 100644
--- a/tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt
+++ b/tools/memory-model/Documentation/access-marking.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ The Linux kernel provides the following access-marking options:
4. WRITE_ONCE(), for example, "WRITE_ONCE(a, b);"
The various forms of atomic_set() also fit in here.

+5. __data_racy, for example "int __data_racy a;"
+
+6. KCSAN's negative-marking assertions, ASSERT_EXCLUSIVE_ACCESS()
+ and ASSERT_EXCLUSIVE_WRITER(), are described in the
+ "ACCESS-DOCUMENTATION OPTIONS" section below.

These may be used in combination, as shown in this admittedly improbable
example:
@@ -205,6 +210,23 @@ because doing otherwise prevents KCSAN from detecting violations of your
code's synchronization rules.


+Use of __data_racy
+------------------
+
+Adding the __data_racy type qualifier to the declaration of a variable
+causes KCSAN to treat all accesses to that variable as if they were
+enclosed by data_race(). However, __data_racy does not affect the
+compiler, though one could imagine hardened kernel builds treating the
+__data_racy type qualifier as if it was the volatile keyword.
+
+Note well that __data_racy is subject to the same pointer-declaration
+rules as are other type qualifiers such as const and volatile.
+For example:
+
+ int __data_racy *p; // Pointer to data-racy data.
+ int *__data_racy p; // Data-racy pointer to non-data-racy data.
+
+
ACCESS-DOCUMENTATION OPTIONS
============================

@@ -342,7 +364,7 @@ as follows:

Because foo is read locklessly, all accesses are marked. The purpose
of the ASSERT_EXCLUSIVE_WRITER() is to allow KCSAN to check for a buggy
-concurrent lockless write.
+concurrent write, whether marked or not.


Lock-Protected Writes With Heuristic Lockless Reads
--
2.40.1