Re: [PATCH v3 05/16] mm/page_alloc: unify __alloc_frozen_pages[_nolock]_noprof()

[Harry Yoo]

On 6/29/26 10:11 PM, Brendan Jackman wrote:
> Currently the core allocator code is controlled by ALLOC_NOLOCK, but the
> main entry point function is significantly different from the normal
> __alloc_frozen_pages_nolock(), this is tiring when reading the code.
> 
> Plumb the ALLOC_NOLOCK control one layer up in the call stack: create
> an alloc_flags argument to __alloc_frozen_pages_nolock() (which is only
> exposed to mm/) and then turn the nolock variant into a thin wrapper
> that just sets that flag (as well as handling NUMA_NO_NODE, similar to
> how some of the wrappers in gfp.h do).
> 
> Rationale that this doesn't change anything:
>
> 1. Simple bits: A bunch of the nolock-specific handling is just moved to
>    the new alloc_order_allowed(), alloc_trylock_allowed() and
>    gfp_trylock.

Right.

> 2. __alloc_frozen_pages_noprof() has some extra logic that wasn't
>    previously in the nolock variant:
> 
>    a. Application of gfp_allowed_mask; this only affects early boot, and
>       only flags that affect the slowpath get changed here.

gfp_allowed_mask clears __GFP_RECLAIM, and that means now allocations
with GFP_KERNEL during early boot would see
gfpflags_allow_spinning() = false.

The helper is not used in in the page allocator, but used in
memcg/stackdepot/page_owner.

>    b. Application of current_gfp_context() - also only affects the
>       slowpath

PF_MEMALLOC_PIN affects the fast path, but ALLOC_NOLOCK users
won't be affected.

What about alloc_flags_nofragment/nonblocking()?

> 3. The slowpath itself: this is now just explicitly skipped under
>    !ALLOC_TRYLOCK.

Right.

> Ulterior motive: adding an alloc_flags arg to the allocator's
> mm-internal entrypoint can later be used to do more allocation
> customisation without needing to create new GFP flags.
> 
> While adding this flag to a bunch of places, create ALLOC_DEFAULT to
> avoid a mysterious literal 0 in most places.
>
> alloc_frozen_pages_noprof() is defined above the alloc flags

The function is defined below the alloc flags, no?

> so just leave that as a slightly messy
> exception instead of trying to fully reorder mm/internal.h for that one
> case.
> 
> No functional change intended.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Brendan Jackman <jackmanb@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  mm/hugetlb.c    |   3 +-
>  mm/mempolicy.c  |  10 ++--
>  mm/page_alloc.c | 178 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------------------
>  mm/page_alloc.h |   6 +-
>  mm/slub.c       |   6 +-
>  5 files changed, 108 insertions(+), 95 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
> index a3ba63c7f9199..8d409d075e3e9 100644
> --- a/mm/page_alloc.c
> +++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
> @@ -5271,24 +5271,98 @@ void free_pages_bulk(struct page **page_array, unsigned long nr_pages)
>  	}
>  }
>  
> +static inline bool alloc_trylock_allowed(void)
> +{
> +	/*
> +	 * In PREEMPT_RT spin_trylock() will call raw_spin_lock() which is
> +	 * unsafe in NMI. If spin_trylock() is called from hard IRQ the current
> +	 * task may be waiting for one rt_spin_lock, but rt_spin_trylock() will
> +	 * mark the task as the owner of another rt_spin_lock which will
> +	 * confuse PI logic, so return immediately if called from hard IRQ or
> +	 * NMI.
> +	 *
> +	 * Note, irqs_disabled() case is ok. This function can be called
> +	 * from raw_spin_lock_irqsave region.
> +	 */
> +	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT) && (in_nmi() || in_hardirq()))
> +		return false;
> +
> +	/* On UP, spin_trylock() always succeeds even when it is locked */
> +	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SMP) && in_nmi())
> +		return false;

Except for deferred_pages_enabled(), it's not specific to the page
allocator. SLUB has

	/*
	 * See the comment for the same check in
	 * alloc_frozen_pages_nolock_noprof()
	 */

... and repeats the same thing as above.

Perhaps let's factor it out into a helper
rather than trying not to forget to update the other place?

> +	/* Bailout, since _deferred_grow_zone() needs to take a lock */
> +	if (deferred_pages_enabled())
> +		return false;
> +
> +	return true;
> +}


-- 
Cheers,
Harry / Hyeonggon

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