[PATCH v4] fs: add predicts based on nd->depth

From: Mateusz Guzik
Date: Mon Nov 10 2025 - 11:59:27 EST


Stats from nd->depth usage during the venerable kernel build collected like so:
bpftrace -e 'kprobe:terminate_walk,kprobe:walk_component,kprobe:legitimize_links
{ @[probe] = lhist(((struct nameidata *)arg0)->depth, 0, 8, 1); }'

@[kprobe:legitimize_links]:
[0, 1) 6554906 |@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|
[1, 2) 3534 | |

@[kprobe:terminate_walk]:
[0, 1) 12153664 |@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|

@[kprobe:walk_component]:
[0, 1) 53075749 |@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@|
[1, 2) 971421 | |
[2, 3) 84946 | |

Given these results:
1. terminate_walk() is called towards the end of the lookup. I failed
run into a case where it has any depth to clean up. For now predict
it does not.
2. legitimize_links() is also called towards the end of lookup and most
of the time there s 0 depth. Patch consumers to avoid calling into it
in that case.
3. walk_component() is typically called with WALK_MORE and zero depth,
checked in that order. Check depth first and predict it is 0.
4. link_path_walk() predicts not dealing with a symlink, but the other
part of symlink handling fails to make the same predict. Add it.

Signed-off-by: Mateusz Guzik <mjguzik@xxxxxxxxx>
---

v4:
- fix backwards predict in link_path_walk

v3:
- more predicts

This obsoletes the previous patch which only took care of
legitimize_links().

fs/namei.c | 13 +++++++------
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index 2a112b2c0951..11295fcf877c 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -785,7 +785,8 @@ static void leave_rcu(struct nameidata *nd)

static void terminate_walk(struct nameidata *nd)
{
- drop_links(nd);
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth))
+ drop_links(nd);
if (!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU)) {
int i;
path_put(&nd->path);
@@ -882,7 +883,7 @@ static bool try_to_unlazy(struct nameidata *nd)

BUG_ON(!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU));

- if (unlikely(!legitimize_links(nd)))
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth && !legitimize_links(nd)))
goto out1;
if (unlikely(!legitimize_path(nd, &nd->path, nd->seq)))
goto out;
@@ -917,7 +918,7 @@ static bool try_to_unlazy_next(struct nameidata *nd, struct dentry *dentry)
int res;
BUG_ON(!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU));

- if (unlikely(!legitimize_links(nd)))
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth && !legitimize_links(nd)))
goto out2;
res = __legitimize_mnt(nd->path.mnt, nd->m_seq);
if (unlikely(res)) {
@@ -2179,7 +2180,7 @@ static const char *walk_component(struct nameidata *nd, int flags)
* parent relationships.
*/
if (unlikely(nd->last_type != LAST_NORM)) {
- if (!(flags & WALK_MORE) && nd->depth)
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth) && !(flags & WALK_MORE))
put_link(nd);
return handle_dots(nd, nd->last_type);
}
@@ -2191,7 +2192,7 @@ static const char *walk_component(struct nameidata *nd, int flags)
if (IS_ERR(dentry))
return ERR_CAST(dentry);
}
- if (!(flags & WALK_MORE) && nd->depth)
+ if (unlikely(nd->depth) && !(flags & WALK_MORE))
put_link(nd);
return step_into(nd, flags, dentry);
}
@@ -2544,7 +2545,7 @@ static int link_path_walk(const char *name, struct nameidata *nd)
if (unlikely(!*name)) {
OK:
/* pathname or trailing symlink, done */
- if (!depth) {
+ if (likely(!depth)) {
nd->dir_vfsuid = i_uid_into_vfsuid(idmap, nd->inode);
nd->dir_mode = nd->inode->i_mode;
nd->flags &= ~LOOKUP_PARENT;
--
2.48.1