Re: [RESEND PATCH v4] fs/ufs: Replace kmap() with kmap_local_page()

From: Fabio M. De Francesco
Date: Sat Nov 26 2022 - 09:12:26 EST


On venerdì 25 novembre 2022 23:50:56 CET Al Viro wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 25, 2022 at 10:17:28PM +0000, Al Viro wrote:
> > The bottom line:
> > * teach your ufs_put_page() to accept any address within the page
> > * flip the ways you return page and address in ufs_get_page()
> > * use offset_in_page(addr) instead of these addr -
page_address(page)
> >
> > and you'll get a much smaller patch, with a lot less noise in it.
> > What's more, offset_in_page() part can be carved out into a separate
> > commit - it's valid on its own, and it makes both halves easier to
> > follow.
> >
> > AFAICS, similar observations apply in your sysvfs patch; the point about
> > calling conventions for ufs_get_page() definitely applies there, and
> > stronger than for ufs - those casts are eye-watering...
>
> As the matter of fact, I'd probably split it into 3 steps:
> 1) switch the calling conventions of ufs_get_page() - callers follow
> it with something like kaddr = page_address(page); and that change makes
> sense on its own. Isolated and easy to follow.
> 2) offset_in_page() changes. Again, separate, stands on its own and
> is easy to follow.
> 3) kmap_local() switch itself - pass address to ufs_put_page(), etc.
> Considerably smaller and less cluttered than your current variant.

Al, thanks for taking the time to answer in such detail although I can believe
that, to spot the mistakes in my patch and then write your email, it probably
took you 10 minutes or so :-)

Instead I had to read two or three times to make sense of it all. I will do my
best to first rewrite these kmap_local_page() conversions in fs/ufs by
separating the work into three patches, as you recommended.

I'm pretty sure that the next attempt won't be applicable yet, because I might
not fully understand your suggestions or I might not be able to implement them
correctly. I'm afraid I addressed something that, as it stands, is a little
beyond my knowledge and experience, so I hope you'll want to chime in and
comment on the next version as well.

When the changes to fs/ufs will be done I will also rewrite the patch for fs/
sysv which (as you pointed out) needs to be worked out according to the same
requirements.

I am sincerely grateful to you also because it seemed to me that I would never
get any feedback regarding these two old patches.

Regards,

Fabio