Re: [PATCH] usb/core/devio.c: Don't use GFP_KERNEL while we cannotreset a storage device

From: Alan Stern
Date: Fri Mar 08 2013 - 12:55:16 EST


On Sat, 9 Mar 2013, Alexey Khoroshilov wrote:

> As it was described by Oliver Neukum in commit acbe2fe
> "USB: Don't use GFP_KERNEL while we cannot reset a storage device":
>
> Memory allocations with GFP_KERNEL can cause IO to a storage device
> which can fail resulting in a need to reset the device. Therefore
> GFP_KERNEL cannot be safely used between usb_lock_device()
> and usb_unlock_device(). Replace by GFP_NOIO.
>
> The patch fixes the same issue in usb/core/devio.c.
> All the allocations fixed are under usb_lock_device() from usbdev_do_ioctl().
>
> Found by Linux Driver Verification project (linuxtesting.org).

I don't know if this is a good idea. People can and do submit
transfers requiring a lot of buffer space. Switching to GFP_NOIO
will make those allocations a lot more likely to fail.

Oliver, what do you think?

Alan Stern

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