Re: [RFC PATCH] reserve_mem: add support for static memory

[Randy Dunlap]

On 6/18/26 3:40 PM, Shyam Saini wrote:
> reserve_mem relies on dynamic memory allocation, this limits the
> usecase where memory and its address is required to be preserved
> across the boots. Eg: ramoops memory reservation on ACPI platforms
> 
> So add support to pass a pre-determined static address and reserve
> memory at this specified address. This enables use case like ramoops
> on ACPI platforms to reliably access ramoops region across the boots.
> 
> Also skip parsing of "align" parameter when static address is passed.
> 
> Example syntax for static address
>  reserve_mem=4M@0x1E0000000:oops ramoops.mem_name=oops
> 
> Signed-off-by: Shyam Saini <shyamsaini@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  .../admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt         | 15 ++++++
>  mm/memblock.c                                 | 48 +++++++++++++------
>  2 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
> index b5493a7f8f228..7e0baca564b97 100644
> --- a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
> @@ -6563,6 +6563,21 @@ Kernel parameters
>  
>  			reserve_mem=12M:4096:oops ramoops.mem_name=oops
>  
> +	reserve_mem=	[RAM]

According to this file (kernel-parameters.txt), "RAM" means that this
option applies when "RAM disk support is enabled."
Is that correct here?
My guess is that it's incorrect for the other (existing) "reserve_mem=" also.


> +			Format: nn[KMG]:<@offset>:<label>
> +			Reserve physical memory at pre-determined location and label it with

Preferably		                           predetermined

> +			a name that other subsystems can use to access it. This is typically
> +			used for systems that do not wipe the RAM, and this command
> +			line will try to reserve the same physical memory on
> +			soft reboots. Note, it is guaranteed to be the same
> +			location unless some other early allocation for eg: crashkernel=256M

			                                 allocation, e.g.: crashkernel=256M

> +                        (without static address) is reserved or overlapps this region.

			                                           overlaps

> +
> +			The format is size:offset:label for example, to request
> +			4 megabytes for ramoops at 0x1E0000000:
> +
> +			reserve_mem=4M@0x1E0000000:oops ramoops.mem_name=oops
> +
>  	reservetop=	[X86-32,EARLY]
>  			Format: nn[KMG]
>  			Reserves a hole at the top of the kernel virtual
> diff --git a/mm/memblock.c b/mm/memblock.c
> index 6349c48154f4b..79f1f806ea364 100644
> --- a/mm/memblock.c
> +++ b/mm/memblock.c
> @@ -2721,6 +2721,7 @@ static int __init reserve_mem(char *p)
>  	char *name;
>  	char *oldp;
>  	int len;
> +	bool addr_is_static = false;
>  
>  	if (!p)
>  		goto err_param;
> @@ -2739,16 +2740,27 @@ static int __init reserve_mem(char *p)
>  	if (*p != ':')
>  		goto err_param;
>  
> -	align = memparse(p+1, &p);
> +	/* parse the static memory address */
> +	if (*p == '@') {
> +		start = memparse(p+1, &p);
> +		addr_is_static = true;
> +	}
> +
>  	if (*p != ':')
>  		goto err_param;
>  
> -	/*
> -	 * memblock_phys_alloc() doesn't like a zero size align,
> -	 * but it is OK for this command to have it.
> -	 */
> -	if (align < SMP_CACHE_BYTES)
> -		align = SMP_CACHE_BYTES;
> +	if (!addr_is_static) {
> +		align = memparse(p+1, &p);
> +		if (*p != ':')
> +			goto err_param;
> +
> +		/*
> +		 * memblock_phys_alloc() doesn't like a zero size align,
> +		 * but it is OK for this command to have it.
> +		 */
> +		if (align < SMP_CACHE_BYTES)
> +			align = SMP_CACHE_BYTES;
> +	}
>  
>  	name = p + 1;
>  	len = strlen(name);
> @@ -2772,16 +2784,24 @@ static int __init reserve_mem(char *p)
>  	}
>  
>  	/* Pick previous allocations up from KHO if available */
> -	if (reserve_mem_kho_revive(name, size, align))
> +	if (!addr_is_static && reserve_mem_kho_revive(name, size, align))
>  		return 1;
>  
> -	/* TODO: Allocation must be outside of scratch region */
> -	start = memblock_phys_alloc(size, align);
> -	if (!start) {
> -		pr_err("reserve_mem: memblock allocation failed\n");
> -		return -ENOMEM;
> -	}
> +	if (addr_is_static) {
> +		if (memblock_reserve(start, size)) {
> +			pr_err("reserve_mem: memblock reservation failed\n");
> +			return -ENOMEM;
> +		}
> +
> +	} else {
> +		/* TODO: Allocation must be outside of scratch region */
> +		start = memblock_phys_alloc(size, align);
> +		if (!start) {
> +			pr_err("reserve_mem: memblock allocation failed\n");
> +			return -ENOMEM;
> +		}
>  
> +	}
>  	reserved_mem_add(start, size, name);
>  
>  	return 1;

__setup() functions return 1 for "yes, I handled this option" (even if there
were errors in it) and 0 for failure ("no idea what this string/option means").
These -ENOMEM, -EINVAL, -EBUSY (in this function) are non-zero so they look like
success and should not be here.

-- 
~Randy