[PATCH v4 3/3] kselftest: mm: introduce alloc_isolated_mem()
From: Yeoreum Yun
Date: Wed Sep 02 2026 - 08:17:28 EST
Some MM tests use memalign() to allocate memory. However, the resulting
memory area may unexpectedly merge with an adjacent VMA, causing tests
that inspect it through /proc/self/smaps to fail.
Eliminate this potential source of test flakiness by introducing
alloc_isolated_mem(), which places guard regions before and after the
allocated area to prevent unexpected VMA merging.
Replace memalign() with this helper and use the helper in
softdirty_supported() instead of mmap().
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/apHDdRSr59mva3ey@lucifer/ [0]
Suggested-by: Lorenzo Stoakes (ARM) <ljs@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Yeoreum Yun <yeoreum.yun@xxxxxxx>
---
tools/testing/selftests/mm/pagemap_ioctl.c | 18 +++---
tools/testing/selftests/mm/soft-dirty.c | 6 +-
tools/testing/selftests/mm/split_huge_page_test.c | 8 +--
tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.c | 67 +++++++++++++++++++++--
tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.h | 2 +
5 files changed, 81 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/pagemap_ioctl.c b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/pagemap_ioctl.c
index eadc7159ca5b..7ed5b8fb3b25 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/pagemap_ioctl.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/pagemap_ioctl.c
@@ -792,9 +792,9 @@ void *gethugepage(int map_size)
int ret;
char *map;
- map = memalign(hpage_size, map_size);
+ map = alloc_isolated_mem(hpage_size, map_size);
if (!map)
- ksft_exit_fail_msg("memalign failed %d %s\n", errno, strerror(errno));
+ ksft_exit_fail_msg("alloc_isolated_mem failed %d %s\n", errno, strerror(errno));
ret = madvise(map, map_size, MADV_HUGEPAGE);
if (ret)
@@ -856,7 +856,7 @@ int hpage_unit_tests(void)
/* 4. only middle page written */
wp_free(map, map_size);
- free(map);
+ free_isolated_mem(map, map_size);
map = gethugepage(map_size);
wp_init(map, map_size);
wp_addr_range(map, map_size);
@@ -871,7 +871,7 @@ int hpage_unit_tests(void)
"%s only middle page written\n", __func__);
wp_free(map, map_size);
- free(map);
+ free_isolated_mem(map, map_size);
} else {
ksft_test_result_skip("%s all new huge page must be written\n", __func__);
ksft_test_result_skip("%s all the huge page must not be written\n", __func__);
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ int hpage_unit_tests(void)
vec[0].start == (uintptr_t)(map + map_size/2),
"%s clear first half of huge page\n", __func__);
wp_free(map, map_size);
- free(map);
+ free_isolated_mem(map, map_size);
} else {
ksft_test_result_skip("%s clear first half of huge page\n", __func__);
}
@@ -927,7 +927,7 @@ int hpage_unit_tests(void)
"%s clear first half of huge page with limited buffer\n",
__func__);
wp_free(map, map_size);
- free(map);
+ free_isolated_mem(map, map_size);
} else {
ksft_test_result_skip("%s clear first half of huge page with limited buffer\n",
__func__);
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ int hpage_unit_tests(void)
ksft_test_result(ret == 1 && LEN(vec[0]) == vec_size/2,
"%s clear second half huge page\n", __func__);
wp_free(map, map_size);
- free(map);
+ free_isolated_mem(map, map_size);
} else {
ksft_test_result_skip("%s clear second half huge page\n", __func__);
}
@@ -988,7 +988,7 @@ int hpage_unit_tests(void)
"%s get half huge page\n", __func__);
wp_free(map, map_size);
- free(map);
+ free_isolated_mem(map, map_size);
} else {
ksft_test_result_skip("%s get half huge page\n", __func__);
ksft_test_result_skip("%s get half huge page\n", __func__);
@@ -1702,7 +1702,7 @@ int main(int __attribute__((unused)) argc, char *argv[])
wp_addr_range(map, hpage_size);
base_tests("Huge page testing:", map, hpage_size, 0);
wp_free(map, hpage_size);
- free(map);
+ free_isolated_mem(map, hpage_size);
} else {
base_tests("Huge page testing:", NULL, 0, 1);
}
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/soft-dirty.c b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/soft-dirty.c
index 5f278913c4d7..b6fad38c8bee 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/soft-dirty.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/soft-dirty.c
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ static void test_hugepage(int pagemap_fd, int pagesize)
if (!hpage_len)
ksft_exit_fail_msg("Reading PMD pagesize failed");
- map = memalign(hpage_len, hpage_len);
+ map = alloc_isolated_mem(hpage_len, hpage_len);
if (!map)
- ksft_exit_fail_msg("memalign failed\n");
+ ksft_exit_fail_msg("alloc_isolated_mem failed\n");
ret = madvise(map, hpage_len, MADV_HUGEPAGE);
if (ret)
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ static void test_hugepage(int pagemap_fd, int pagesize)
ksft_test_result_skip("Test %s huge page allocation\n", __func__);
ksft_test_result_skip("Test %s huge page dirty bit\n", __func__);
}
- free(map);
+ free_isolated_mem(map, hpage_len);
}
static void test_mprotect(int pagemap_fd, int pagesize, bool anon)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/split_huge_page_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/split_huge_page_test.c
index 4bbad892bc57..7a600131f7f0 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/split_huge_page_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/split_huge_page_test.c
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ static char *allocate_zero_filled_hugepage(size_t len)
char *result;
size_t i;
- result = memalign(pmd_pagesize, len);
+ result = alloc_isolated_mem(pmd_pagesize, len);
if (!result) {
printf("Fail to allocate memory\n");
exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ static void split_pmd_zero_pages(void)
one_page = allocate_zero_filled_hugepage(len);
verify_rss_anon_split_huge_page_all_zeroes(one_page, nr_hpages, len);
ksft_test_result_pass("Split zero filled huge pages successful\n");
- free(one_page);
+ free_isolated_mem(one_page, len);
}
static void split_pmd_thp_to_order(int order)
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ static void split_pmd_thp_to_order(int order)
size_t len = 4 * pmd_pagesize;
size_t i;
- one_page = memalign(pmd_pagesize, len);
+ one_page = alloc_isolated_mem(pmd_pagesize, len);
if (!one_page)
ksft_exit_fail_msg("Fail to allocate memory: %s\n", strerror(errno));
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ static void split_pmd_thp_to_order(int order)
ksft_exit_fail_msg("Still AnonHugePages not split\n");
ksft_test_result_pass("Split huge pages to order %d successful\n", order);
- free(one_page);
+ free_isolated_mem(one_page, len);
}
static void split_pte_mapped_thp(void)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.c b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.c
index dc62ce84e143..159d627ae3b0 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.c
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@
#define KPAGEFLAGS_PATH "/proc/kpageflags"
#define MAX_NR_ORDERS 20
+#define ALIGN(x, a) (((x) + (a - 1)) & (~((a) - 1)))
+#define ALIGN_PTR(p, a) ((typeof(p))ALIGN((unsigned long)(p), a))
+#define IS_ALIGNED(x, a) (((x) & ((typeof(x))(a) - 1)) == 0)
+#define PTR_ALIGNED(p, a) (IS_ALIGNED((unsigned long)(p), a))
+
unsigned int __page_size;
unsigned int __page_shift;
@@ -514,6 +519,61 @@ int64_t allocate_transhuge(void *ptr, int pagemap_fd)
return -1;
}
+void *alloc_isolated_mem(size_t align, size_t size)
+{
+ char *ptr, *guard, *addr_align;
+ size_t map_size, guard_size, page_size = psize();
+ size_t padding;
+
+ if (__builtin_popcountll((unsigned long)align) > 1)
+ return NULL;
+
+ align = (align > page_size) ? align : page_size;
+ guard_size = page_size;
+ size = ALIGN(size, page_size);
+ map_size = size + align + guard_size;
+
+ ptr = mmap(NULL, map_size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
+ MAP_ANONYMOUS | MAP_PRIVATE, -1, 0);
+ if (ptr == MAP_FAILED)
+ return NULL;
+
+ addr_align = PTR_ALIGNED(ptr, align) ? ptr + align : ALIGN_PTR(ptr, align);
+ padding = addr_align - guard_size - ptr;
+ if (padding) {
+ munmap(ptr, padding);
+ map_size -= padding;
+ ptr += padding;
+ }
+
+ guard = ptr;
+ if (mprotect(guard, guard_size, PROT_NONE))
+ goto err_out;
+
+ guard = addr_align + size;
+ if (mprotect(guard, guard_size, PROT_NONE))
+ goto err_out;
+
+ padding = (ptr + map_size) - (guard + guard_size);
+ if (padding)
+ munmap(guard + guard_size, padding);
+
+ return addr_align;
+
+err_out:
+ munmap(ptr, map_size);
+ return NULL;
+}
+
+void free_isolated_mem(void *addr, size_t size)
+{
+ int guard_size, page_size = psize();
+
+ guard_size = page_size;
+ munmap((char *)addr - guard_size,
+ guard_size * 2 + ALIGN(size, page_size));
+}
+
int pageflags_get(unsigned long pfn, int kpageflags_fd, uint64_t *flags)
{
size_t count;
@@ -618,13 +678,12 @@ bool softdirty_supported(void)
const size_t pagesize = getpagesize();
/* New mappings are expected to be marked with VM_SOFTDIRTY (sd). */
- addr = mmap(0, pagesize, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
- MAP_ANONYMOUS | MAP_PRIVATE, 0, 0);
- if (addr == MAP_FAILED)
+ addr = alloc_isolated_mem(pagesize, pagesize);
+ if (!addr)
ksft_exit_fail_msg("mmap failed\n");
supported = check_vmflag(addr, "sd");
- munmap(addr, pagesize);
+ free_isolated_mem(addr, pagesize);
return supported;
}
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.h b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.h
index f19bd17817e5..ce1da9a55310 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.h
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/mm/vm_util.h
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ bool check_huge_anon(void *addr, size_t len, int nr_hpages, uint64_t hpage_size)
bool check_huge_file(void *addr, size_t len, int nr_hpages, uint64_t hpage_size);
bool check_huge_shmem(void *addr, size_t len, int nr_hpages, uint64_t hpage_size);
int64_t allocate_transhuge(void *ptr, int pagemap_fd);
+void *alloc_isolated_mem(size_t align, size_t size);
+void free_isolated_mem(void *addr, size_t size);
int pageflags_get(unsigned long pfn, int kpageflags_fd, uint64_t *flags);
int gather_folio_orders(char *vaddr_start, size_t len,
int pagemap_fd, int kpageflags_fd, int orders[], int nr_orders);
--
2.43.0