Re: [PATCH printk v3 33/40] printk, xen: fbfront: create/use safe function for forcing preferred

[Petr Mladek]

On Mon 2022-11-07 15:22:31, John Ogness wrote:
> With commit 9e124fe16ff2("xen: Enable console tty by default in domU
> if it's not a dummy") a hack was implemented to make sure that the
> tty console remains the console behind the /dev/console device. The
> main problem with the hack is that, after getting the console pointer
> to the tty console, it is assumed the pointer is still valid after
> releasing the console_sem. This assumption is incorrect and unsafe.
> 
> Make the hack safe by introducing a new function
> console_force_preferred_locked() and perform the full operation
> under the console_list_lock.
> 
> --- a/kernel/printk/printk.c
> +++ b/kernel/printk/printk.c
> @@ -3457,6 +3458,43 @@ int unregister_console(struct console *console)
>  }
>  EXPORT_SYMBOL(unregister_console);
>  
> +/**
> + * console_force_preferred_locked - force a registered console preferred
> + * @con: The registered console to force preferred.
> + *
> + * Must be called under console_list_lock().
> + */
> +void console_force_preferred_locked(struct console *con)
> +{
> +	struct console *cur_pref_con;
> +
> +	if (!console_is_registered_locked(con))
> +		return;
> +
> +	cur_pref_con = console_first();
> +
> +	/* Already preferred? */
> +	if (cur_pref_con == con)
> +		return;
> +
> +	hlist_del_init_rcu(&con->node);

We actually should re-initialize the node only after all existing
console list walks are finished. Se we should use here:

	hlist_del_rcu(&con->node);

> +
> +	/*
> +	 * Ensure that all SRCU list walks have completed so that the console
> +	 * can be added to the beginning of the console list and its forward
> +	 * list pointer can be re-initialized.

The comment is right ;-)

> +	 */
> +	synchronize_srcu(&console_srcu);
> +
> +	con->flags |= CON_CONSDEV;
> +	WARN_ON(!con->device);
> +
> +	/* Only the new head can have CON_CONSDEV set. */
> +	WRITE_ONCE(cur_pref_con->flags, cur_pref_con->flags & ~CON_CONSDEV);

As mentioned in the reply for 7th patch, I would prefer to hide this
WRITE_ONCE into a wrapper, e.g. console_set_flag(). It might also
check that the console_list_lock is taken...


> +	hlist_add_behind_rcu(&con->node, console_list.first);
> +}
> +EXPORT_SYMBOL(console_force_preferred_locked);
> +
>  /*
>   * Initialize the console device. This is called *early*, so
>   * we can't necessarily depend on lots of kernel help here.

Best Regards,
Petr