[PATCH v10 4/8] highmem: do range clearing in clear_user_highpages()

From: Ankur Arora

Date: Mon Dec 15 2025 - 15:50:05 EST


Use the range clearing primitive clear_user_pages() when clearing
contiguous pages in clear_user_highpages().

We can safely do that when we have !CONFIG_HIGHMEM and when the
architecture does not have clear_user_highpage.

The first is necessary because not doing intermediate maps for
pages lets contiguous page ranges stay contiguous. The second,
because if the architecture has clear_user_highpage(), it likely
needs flushing magic when clearing the page, magic that we aren't
privy to.

Signed-off-by: Ankur Arora <ankur.a.arora@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
Note:
- reorganized based on the previous two patches.
- Removed David's acked-by.

include/linux/highmem.h | 17 +++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 17 insertions(+)

diff --git a/include/linux/highmem.h b/include/linux/highmem.h
index 92aa1053c9c1..c6219700569f 100644
--- a/include/linux/highmem.h
+++ b/include/linux/highmem.h
@@ -278,11 +278,28 @@ static inline void clear_user_highpage(struct page *page, unsigned long vaddr)
static inline void clear_user_highpages(struct page *page, unsigned long vaddr,
unsigned int npages)
{
+
+#if defined(clear_user_highpage) || defined(CONFIG_HIGHMEM)
+ /*
+ * An architecture defined clear_user_highpage() implies special
+ * handling is needed.
+ *
+ * So we use that or, the generic variant if CONFIG_HIGHMEM is
+ * enabled.
+ */
do {
clear_user_highpage(page, vaddr);
vaddr += PAGE_SIZE;
page++;
} while (--npages);
+#else
+
+ /*
+ * Prefer clear_user_pages() to allow for architectural optimizations
+ * when operating on contiguous page ranges.
+ */
+ clear_user_pages(page_address(page), vaddr, page, npages);
+#endif
}

#ifndef vma_alloc_zeroed_movable_folio
--
2.31.1