[PATCH bpf-next v3 3/5] libbpf: Emit BPF_LINK_CREATE calls in generated loaders

From: Mahe Tardy

Date: Mon Nov 02 2026 - 15:14:45 EST


Introduce bpf_gen__link_create() which builds the attachment attributes
from the loaded program FD, emits the helper call then save the returned
link FD in its data buffer slot for context output or failure cleanup.

Generate the attachment instruction after program and map init and
before loader finalization. Keep a mapping from dense loaded-program
slots to context output slots so disabled programs do not shift the
returned program FDs relative to their link descriptors.

Signed-off-by: Mahe Tardy <mahe.tardy@xxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/lib/bpf/bpf_gen_internal.h | 5 ++++
tools/lib/bpf/gen_loader.c | 24 +++++++++++++++--
tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c | 44 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
3 files changed, 71 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_gen_internal.h b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_gen_internal.h
index b601269abe45..1332094bfd4b 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_gen_internal.h
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/bpf_gen_internal.h
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
#include "bpf.h"
#include "libbpf_internal.h"

+#define MAX_USED_PROGS 32
+
struct ksym_relo_desc {
const char *name;
int kind;
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ struct bpf_gen {
__u32 nr_maps;
int link_fds;
__u32 nr_link_slots;
+ int prog_output_idx[MAX_USED_PROGS];
int log_level;
int error;
struct ksym_relo_desc *relos;
@@ -75,6 +78,8 @@ void bpf_gen__prog_load(struct bpf_gen *gen,
enum bpf_prog_type prog_type, const char *prog_name,
const char *license, struct bpf_insn *insns, size_t insn_cnt,
struct bpf_prog_load_opts *load_attr, int prog_idx);
+void bpf_gen__link_create(struct bpf_gen *gen, int prog_idx, int link_idx,
+ enum bpf_attach_type attach_type);
void bpf_gen__map_update_elem(struct bpf_gen *gen, int map_idx, void *value, __u32 value_size,
__u64 flags);
void bpf_gen__map_freeze(struct bpf_gen *gen, int map_idx);
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/gen_loader.c b/tools/lib/bpf/gen_loader.c
index 7f41b5a517fe..06d056a326f0 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/gen_loader.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/gen_loader.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
#include "skel_internal.h"

#define MAX_USED_MAPS 64
-#define MAX_USED_PROGS 32
#define MAX_KFUNC_DESCS 256
#define MAX_FD_ARRAY_SZ (MAX_USED_MAPS + MAX_KFUNC_DESCS)

@@ -412,7 +411,8 @@ int bpf_gen__finish(struct bpf_gen *gen, int nr_progs, int nr_maps)
move_stack2ctx(gen,
sizeof(struct bpf_loader_ctx) +
sizeof(struct bpf_map_desc) * gen->nr_maps +
- sizeof(struct bpf_prog_desc) * i +
+ sizeof(struct bpf_prog_desc) *
+ (gen->nr_link_slots ? gen->prog_output_idx[i] : i) +
offsetof(struct bpf_prog_desc, prog_fd), 4,
stack_off(prog_fd[i]));
for (i = 0; i < gen->nr_maps; i++)
@@ -1030,6 +1030,26 @@ static void info_blob_bswap(struct bpf_gen *gen, int func_info, int line_info,
bpf_core_relo_bswap(cr++);
}

+void bpf_gen__link_create(struct bpf_gen *gen, int prog_idx, int link_idx,
+ enum bpf_attach_type attach_type)
+{
+ int attr_size = offsetofend(union bpf_attr, link_create.flags);
+ union bpf_attr attr;
+ int link_create_attr;
+
+ memset(&attr, 0, attr_size);
+ attr.link_create.attach_type = tgt_endian(attach_type);
+ link_create_attr = add_data(gen, &attr, attr_size);
+ move_stack2blob(gen, attr_field(link_create_attr, link_create.prog_fd), 4,
+ stack_off(prog_fd[prog_idx]));
+ emit_sys_bpf(gen, BPF_LINK_CREATE, link_create_attr, attr_size);
+ debug_ret(gen, "link_create prog_idx %d attach_type %u", prog_idx, attach_type);
+ emit_check_err(gen);
+ emit2(gen, BPF_LD_IMM64_RAW_FULL(BPF_REG_0, BPF_PSEUDO_MAP_IDX_VALUE,
+ 0, 0, 0, gen->link_fds + link_idx * sizeof(int)));
+ emit(gen, BPF_STX_MEM(BPF_W, BPF_REG_0, BPF_REG_7, 0));
+}
+
void bpf_gen__prog_load(struct bpf_gen *gen,
enum bpf_prog_type prog_type, const char *prog_name,
const char *license, struct bpf_insn *insns, size_t insn_cnt,
diff --git a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
index a7cbe7204043..32f041e999c5 100644
--- a/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
+++ b/tools/lib/bpf/libbpf.c
@@ -9784,6 +9784,47 @@ static int bpf_object_prepare(struct bpf_object *obj, const char *target_btf_pat
return 0;
}

+static bool bpf_program_supports_gen_attach(const struct bpf_program *prog)
+{
+ switch (prog->type) {
+ case BPF_PROG_TYPE_LSM:
+ return prog->expected_attach_type == BPF_LSM_MAC;
+ case BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACING:
+ return prog->expected_attach_type == BPF_TRACE_FENTRY ||
+ prog->expected_attach_type == BPF_TRACE_FEXIT ||
+ prog->expected_attach_type == BPF_MODIFY_RETURN ||
+ prog->expected_attach_type == BPF_TRACE_RAW_TP;
+ default:
+ return false;
+ }
+}
+
+static int bpf_object_gen_links(struct bpf_object *obj)
+{
+ struct bpf_program *prog;
+ int prog_idx = -1, link_idx = -1;
+
+ bpf_object__for_each_program(prog, obj) {
+ link_idx++;
+ if (prog->load_strategy != BPF_PROG_LOAD_STRATEGY_AUTO)
+ continue;
+ prog_idx++;
+ obj->gen_loader->prog_output_idx[prog_idx] = link_idx;
+ if (!prog->autoattach)
+ continue;
+ if (!bpf_program_supports_gen_attach(prog)) {
+ pr_warn("prog '%s': loader attachment is not supported for section '%s'\n",
+ prog->name, prog->sec_name);
+ return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+ }
+ bpf_gen__link_create(obj->gen_loader, prog_idx, link_idx,
+ prog->expected_attach_type);
+ if (obj->gen_loader->error)
+ return obj->gen_loader->error;
+ }
+ return 0;
+}
+
static int bpf_object_load(struct bpf_object *obj, int extra_log_level, const char *target_btf_path)
{
int err;
@@ -9843,6 +9884,9 @@ static int bpf_object_load(struct bpf_object *obj, int extra_log_level, const ch
/* reset FDs */
if (obj->btf)
btf__set_fd(obj->btf, -1);
+ if (!err && !obj->gen_loader->error &&
+ OPTS_GET(obj->gen_loader->opts, gen_attach, false))
+ err = bpf_object_gen_links(obj);
if (!err)
err = bpf_gen__finish(obj->gen_loader, obj->nr_programs, obj->nr_maps);
}
--
2.43.0