Re: [PATCH V5 3/8] ext4: specify the free pointer offset for ext4_inode_cache

From: Vlastimil Babka

Date: Wed Jan 07 2026 - 08:54:19 EST


On 1/5/26 09:02, Harry Yoo wrote:
> Convert ext4_inode_cache to use the kmem_cache_args interface and
> specify a free pointer offset.
>
> Since ext4_inode_cache uses a constructor, the free pointer would be
> placed after the object to overwriting fields used by the constructor.

^ prevent?

> However, some fields such as ->i_flags are not used by the constructor
> and can safely be repurposed for the free pointer.
>
> Specify the free pointer offset at i_flags to reduce the object size.
>
> Signed-off-by: Harry Yoo <harry.yoo@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> fs/ext4/super.c | 20 ++++++++++++++------
> 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/fs/ext4/super.c b/fs/ext4/super.c
> index 87205660c5d0..42580643a466 100644
> --- a/fs/ext4/super.c
> +++ b/fs/ext4/super.c
> @@ -1491,12 +1491,20 @@ static void init_once(void *foo)
>
> static int __init init_inodecache(void)
> {
> - ext4_inode_cachep = kmem_cache_create_usercopy("ext4_inode_cache",
> - sizeof(struct ext4_inode_info), 0,
> - SLAB_RECLAIM_ACCOUNT | SLAB_ACCOUNT,
> - offsetof(struct ext4_inode_info, i_data),
> - sizeof_field(struct ext4_inode_info, i_data),
> - init_once);
> + struct kmem_cache_args args = {
> + .align = 0,

Nit: it's implicit so not necessary.

> + .useroffset = offsetof(struct ext4_inode_info, i_data),
> + .usersize = sizeof_field(struct ext4_inode_info, i_data),
> + .use_freeptr_offset = true,
> + .freeptr_offset = offsetof(struct ext4_inode_info, i_flags),
> + .ctor = init_once,
> + };
> +
> + ext4_inode_cachep = kmem_cache_create("ext4_inode_cache",
> + sizeof(struct ext4_inode_info),
> + &args,
> + SLAB_RECLAIM_ACCOUNT | SLAB_ACCOUNT);
> +
> if (ext4_inode_cachep == NULL)
> return -ENOMEM;
> return 0;