[PATCH v9 3/4] ext4: convert all EA inode iput() calls to ext4_put_ea_inode()

From: Yun Zhou

Date: Tue Jun 23 2026 - 04:53:59 EST


Convert all iput() calls on EA inodes in xattr code paths to use
ext4_put_ea_inode(). This establishes a uniform rule: every EA inode
reference release in ext4 xattr code goes through ext4_put_ea_inode(),
eliminating the need to analyze each call site individually for lock
safety.

Converted sites:

- ext4_xattr_inode_get() read path
- ext4_xattr_inode_inc_ref_all() main loop and cleanup path
- ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all() error paths
- ext4_xattr_inode_create() error path
- ext4_xattr_inode_cache_find() mismatch path
- ext4_xattr_inode_lookup_create() out_err
- ext4_xattr_set_entry() old_ea_inode
- ext4_xattr_block_set() new block path, cleanup, and tmp_inode
- ext4_xattr_ibody_set() error and success paths
- ext4_xattr_delete_inode() quota loop

For most of these, iput_if_not_last() will succeed (the EA inode has
other references) making the overhead a single atomic operation.

Signed-off-by: Yun Zhou <yun.zhou@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/ext4/xattr.c | 30 +++++++++++++++---------------
1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/ext4/xattr.c b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
index ecdad5920b14..90b693b78a45 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/xattr.c
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ ext4_xattr_inode_get(struct inode *inode, struct ext4_xattr_entry *entry,
ea_inode->i_ino, true /* reusable */);
}
out:
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
return err;
}

@@ -1106,10 +1106,10 @@ static int ext4_xattr_inode_inc_ref_all(handle_t *handle, struct inode *parent,
err = ext4_xattr_inode_inc_ref(handle, ea_inode);
if (err) {
ext4_warning_inode(ea_inode, "inc ref error %d", err);
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(parent->i_sb, ea_inode);
goto cleanup;
}
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(parent->i_sb, ea_inode);
}
return 0;

@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ static int ext4_xattr_inode_inc_ref_all(handle_t *handle, struct inode *parent,
if (err)
ext4_warning_inode(ea_inode, "cleanup dec ref error %d",
err);
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(parent->i_sb, ea_inode);
}
return saved_err;
}
@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all(handle_t *handle, struct inode *parent,
if (err) {
ext4_warning_inode(ea_inode,
"Expand inode array err=%d", err);
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(parent->i_sb, ea_inode);
continue;
}

@@ -1507,7 +1507,7 @@ static struct inode *ext4_xattr_inode_create(handle_t *handle,
if (ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref(handle, ea_inode))
ext4_warning_inode(ea_inode,
"cleanup dec ref error %d", err);
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
return ERR_PTR(err);
}

@@ -1566,7 +1566,7 @@ ext4_xattr_inode_cache_find(struct inode *inode, const void *value,
kvfree(ea_data);
return ea_inode;
}
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
next_entry:
ce = mb_cache_entry_find_next(ea_inode_cache, ce);
}
@@ -1617,7 +1617,7 @@ static struct inode *ext4_xattr_inode_lookup_create(handle_t *handle,
ea_inode->i_ino, true /* reusable */);
return ea_inode;
out_err:
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
ext4_xattr_inode_free_quota(inode, NULL, value_len);
return ERR_PTR(err);
}
@@ -1850,7 +1850,7 @@ static int ext4_xattr_set_entry(struct ext4_xattr_info *i,

ret = 0;
out:
- iput(old_ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, old_ea_inode);
return ret;
}

@@ -2012,7 +2012,7 @@ ext4_xattr_block_set(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
old_ea_inode_quota = le32_to_cpu(
s->here->e_value_size);
}
- iput(tmp_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, tmp_inode);

s->here->e_value_inum = 0;
s->here->e_value_size = 0;
@@ -2152,7 +2152,7 @@ ext4_xattr_block_set(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
ext4_warning_inode(ea_inode,
"dec ref error=%d",
error);
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
ea_inode = NULL;
}

@@ -2206,7 +2206,7 @@ ext4_xattr_block_set(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
ext4_xattr_inode_free_quota(inode, ea_inode,
i_size_read(ea_inode));
}
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
}
if (ce)
mb_cache_entry_put(ea_block_cache, ce);
@@ -2288,7 +2288,7 @@ int ext4_xattr_ibody_set(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,

ext4_xattr_inode_free_quota(inode, ea_inode,
i_size_read(ea_inode));
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
}
return error;
}
@@ -2300,7 +2300,7 @@ int ext4_xattr_ibody_set(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
header->h_magic = cpu_to_le32(0);
ext4_clear_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_XATTR);
}
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
return 0;
}

@@ -2989,7 +2989,7 @@ int ext4_xattr_delete_inode(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
continue;
ext4_xattr_inode_free_quota(inode, ea_inode,
le32_to_cpu(entry->e_value_size));
- iput(ea_inode);
+ ext4_put_ea_inode(inode->i_sb, ea_inode);
}

}
--
2.43.0