Re: [PATCH v1] mm: Fix for negative counter: nr_file_hugepages

From: Andrew Morton
Date: Mon Nov 06 2023 - 13:27:02 EST


On Mon, 6 Nov 2023 10:19:18 -0800 Stefan Roesch <shr@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> While qualifiying the 6.4 release, the following warning was detected in
> messages:
>
> vmstat_refresh: nr_file_hugepages -15664
>
> The warning is caused by the incorrect updating of the NR_FILE_THPS
> counter in the function split_huge_page_to_list. The if case is checking
> for folio_test_swapbacked, but the else case is missing the check for
> folio_test_pmd_mappable. The other functions that manipulate the counter
> like __filemap_add_folio and filemap_unaccount_folio have the
> corresponding check.
>
> I have a test case, which reproduces the problem. It can be found here:
> https://github.com/sroeschus/testcase/blob/main/vmstat_refresh/madv.c
>
> The test case reproduces on an XFS filesystem. Running the same test
> case on a BTRFS filesystem does not reproduce the problem.
>
> AFAIK version 6.1 until 6.6 are affected by this problem.

I'm thinking a cc:stable is justified.

> --- a/mm/huge_memory.c
> +++ b/mm/huge_memory.c
> @@ -2740,7 +2740,8 @@ int split_huge_page_to_list(struct page *page, struct list_head *list)
> if (folio_test_swapbacked(folio)) {
> __lruvec_stat_mod_folio(folio, NR_SHMEM_THPS,
> -nr);
> - } else {
> + } else if (folio_test_pmd_mappable(folio)) {
> +
> __lruvec_stat_mod_folio(folio, NR_FILE_THPS,
> -nr);
> filemap_nr_thps_dec(mapping);
>

I expect this will backport OK until it hits 3e9a13daa ("huge_memory:
convert split_huge_page_to_list() to use a folio") at which point the
-stable maintainers might request a reworked version.