[PATCH v2 0/4] make vmalloc gfp flags usage more apparent

From: Vishal Moola (Oracle)

Date: Wed Nov 12 2025 - 13:58:42 EST


We should do a better job at enforcing gfp flags for vmalloc. Right now, we
have a kernel-doc for __vmalloc_node_range(), and hope callers pass in
supported flags. If a caller were to pass in an unsupported flag, we may
BUG, silently clear it, or completely ignore it.

If we are more proactive about enforcing gfp flags, we can making sure
callers know when they may be asking for unsupported behavior.

This patchset lets vmalloc control the incoming gfp flags, and cleans up
some hard to read gfp code.

---
Linked rfc [1] and rfc v2[2] for convenience.

v2:
- Add __GFP_HARDWALL[3] for bpf and drm users.
- cc BPF mailing list

RFC -> PATCH:
- Collected review tags (Patches 1 & 4)
- Add unlikely keyword to help the compiler
- Replace pr_warn() with WARN(1)

RFC v2:
- Whitelist supported gfp flags instead of blacklisting the unsupported
- Move the flags check up to the only exported functions that accept
flags:
__vmalloc_noprof() and vmalloc_huge_node_prof()

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-mm/20251030164330.44995-1-vishal.moola@xxxxxxxxx/
[2] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-mm/20251103190429.104747-1-vishal.moola@xxxxxxxxx/
[3] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-mm/20251110160457.61791-1-vishal.moola@xxxxxxxxx/T/#me8b548520ce9c81a5099c00abe53dd248c16eae7

Vishal Moola (Oracle) (4):
mm/vmalloc: warn on invalid vmalloc gfp flags
mm/vmalloc: Add a helper to optimize vmalloc allocation gfps
mm/vmalloc: cleanup large_gfp in vm_area_alloc_pages()
mm/vmalloc: cleanup gfp flag use in new_vmap_block()

mm/vmalloc.c | 48 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------
1 file changed, 40 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

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2.51.1