[PATCH v2 2/3] fat: support adding multiple clusters

From: Matheus Alves de Almeida

Date: Mon Oct 12 2026 - 13:13:12 EST


fat_add_cluster() currently adds only one cluster to a file's chain,
requiring multiple calls when adding more clusters.

Add a fat_alloc_chain() helper that allocates a cluster chain
but only returns the first cluster. Extend fat_add_cluster()
to add multiple clusters in a single call and rename it to
fat_add_clusters() to reflect the new behavior.

Signed-off-by: Matheus Alves de Almeida <matheus.aalmeida@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/fat/fat.h | 3 ++-
fs/fat/fatent.c | 18 ++++++++++++++++--
fs/fat/file.c | 2 +-
fs/fat/inode.c | 8 ++++----
4 files changed, 23 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/fat/fat.h b/fs/fat/fat.h
index 61338413d..b18385461 100644
--- a/fs/fat/fat.h
+++ b/fs/fat/fat.h
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ extern int fat_ent_write(struct inode *inode, struct fat_entry *fatent,
int new, int wait);
extern int fat_alloc_clusters(struct inode *inode, int *cluster,
int nr_cluster);
+int fat_alloc_chain(struct inode *inode, int *cluster, int nr_cluster);
extern int fat_free_clusters(struct inode *inode, int cluster);
extern int fat_count_free_clusters(struct super_block *sb);
extern int fat_trim_fs(struct inode *inode, struct fstrim_range *range);
@@ -440,7 +441,7 @@ static inline unsigned long fat_dir_hash(int logstart)
{
return hash_32(logstart, FAT_HASH_BITS);
}
-extern int fat_add_cluster(struct inode *inode);
+extern int fat_add_clusters(struct inode *inode, int nr_cluster);

/* fat/misc.c */
extern __printf(3, 4) __cold
diff --git a/fs/fat/fatent.c b/fs/fat/fatent.c
index bfab8eab5..8897a5dd5 100644
--- a/fs/fat/fatent.c
+++ b/fs/fat/fatent.c
@@ -488,7 +488,8 @@ static int fat_flush_bhs(struct super_block *sb, struct buffer_head **bhs,
return 0;
}

-int fat_alloc_clusters(struct inode *inode, int *cluster, int nr_cluster)
+static int __fat_alloc_clusters(struct inode *inode, int *cluster, int nr_cluster,
+ bool return_all)
{
struct super_block *sb = inode->i_sb;
struct msdos_sb_info *sbi = MSDOS_SB(sb);
@@ -531,7 +532,10 @@ int fat_alloc_clusters(struct inode *inode, int *cluster, int nr_cluster)
if (sbi->free_clusters != -1)
sbi->free_clusters--;

- cluster[idx_clus] = entry;
+ if (return_all)
+ cluster[idx_clus] = entry;
+ else if (!idx_clus)
+ *cluster = entry;
idx_clus++;

if (nr_bhs + fatent.nr_bhs > MAX_BUF_PER_PAGE) {
@@ -581,6 +585,16 @@ int fat_alloc_clusters(struct inode *inode, int *cluster, int nr_cluster)
return err;
}

+int fat_alloc_clusters(struct inode *inode, int *cluster, int nr_cluster)
+{
+ return __fat_alloc_clusters(inode, cluster, nr_cluster, true);
+}
+
+int fat_alloc_chain(struct inode *inode, int *cluster, int nr_cluster)
+{
+ return __fat_alloc_clusters(inode, cluster, nr_cluster, false);
+}
+
int fat_free_clusters(struct inode *inode, int cluster)
{
struct super_block *sb = inode->i_sb;
diff --git a/fs/fat/file.c b/fs/fat/file.c
index 1c835ca5f..41d49e9de 100644
--- a/fs/fat/file.c
+++ b/fs/fat/file.c
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ static long fat_fallocate(struct file *file, int mode,

/* Start the allocation.We are not zeroing out the clusters */
while (nr_cluster-- > 0) {
- err = fat_add_cluster(inode);
+ err = fat_add_clusters(inode, 1);
if (err)
goto error;
}
diff --git a/fs/fat/inode.c b/fs/fat/inode.c
index f775a004c..141276fcf 100644
--- a/fs/fat/inode.c
+++ b/fs/fat/inode.c
@@ -101,16 +101,16 @@ static struct fat_floppy_defaults {
},
};

-int fat_add_cluster(struct inode *inode)
+int fat_add_clusters(struct inode *inode, int nr_cluster)
{
int err, cluster;

- err = fat_alloc_clusters(inode, &cluster, 1);
+ err = fat_alloc_chain(inode, &cluster, nr_cluster);
if (err)
return err;
/* FIXME: this cluster should be added after data of this
* cluster is writed */
- err = fat_chain_add(inode, cluster, 1);
+ err = fat_chain_add(inode, cluster, nr_cluster);
if (err)
fat_free_clusters(inode, cluster);
return err;
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ static inline int __fat_get_block(struct inode *inode, sector_t iblock,
*/
if (!offset && !(iblock < last_block)) {
/* TODO: multiple cluster allocation would be desirable. */
- err = fat_add_cluster(inode);
+ err = fat_add_clusters(inode, 1);
if (err)
return err;
}
--
2.43.0