[PATCH printk v5 00/40] reduce console_lock scope

This is v5 of a series to prepare for threaded/atomic
printing. v4 is here [0]. This series focuses on reducing the
scope of the BKL console_lock. It achieves this by switching to
SRCU and a dedicated mutex for console list iteration and
modification, respectively. The console_lock will no longer
offer this protection.

Also, during the review of v2 it came to our attention that
many console drivers are checking CON_ENABLED to see if they
are registered. Because this flag can change without
unregistering and because this flag does not represent an
atomic point when an (un)registration process is complete,
a new console_is_registered() function is introduced. This
function uses the console_list_lock to synchronize with the
(un)registration process to provide a reliable status.

All users of the console_lock for list iteration have been
modified. For the call sites where the console_lock is still
needed (for other reasons), comments are added to explain
exactly why the console_lock is needed.

All users of CON_ENABLED for registration status have been
modified to use console_is_registered(). Note that there are
still users of CON_ENABLED, but this is for legitimate purposes
about a registered console being able to print.

The base commit for this series is from Paul McKenney's RCU tree
and provides an NMI-safe SRCU implementation [1]. Without the
NMI-safe SRCU implementation, this series is not less safe than
mainline. But we will need the NMI-safe SRCU implementation for
atomic consoles anyway, so we might as well get it in
now. Especially since it _does_ increase the reliability for
mainline in the panic path.

Changes since v4:

printk:

- Introduce console_init_seq() to handle the now rather complex
  procedure to find an appropriate start sequence number for a
  new console upon registration.

- When registering a non-boot console and boot consoles are
  registered, try to flush all the consoles to get the next @seq
  value before falling back to use the @seq of the enabled boot
  console that is furthest behind.

- For console_force_preferred_locked(), make the console the
  head of the console list.

John Ogness

[0] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20221114162932.141883-1-john.ogness@linutronix.de
[1] https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/paulmck/linux-rcu.git/log/?h=srcunmisafe.2022.11.09a

John Ogness (38):
  printk: Prepare for SRCU console list protection
  printk: register_console: use "registered" for variable names
  printk: move @seq initialization to helper
  printk: fix setting first seq for consoles
  um: kmsg_dump: only dump when no output console available
  tty: serial: kgdboc: document console_lock usage
  tty: tty_io: document console_lock usage
  proc: consoles: document console_lock usage
  printk: introduce console_list_lock
  console: introduce wrappers to read/write console flags
  um: kmsg_dumper: use srcu console list iterator
  kdb: use srcu console list iterator
  printk: console_flush_all: use srcu console list iterator
  printk: __pr_flush: use srcu console list iterator
  printk: console_is_usable: use console_srcu_read_flags
  printk: console_unblank: use srcu console list iterator
  printk: console_flush_on_panic: use srcu console list iterator
  printk: console_device: use srcu console list iterator
  console: introduce console_is_registered()
  serial_core: replace uart_console_enabled() with
    uart_console_registered()
  tty: nfcon: use console_is_registered()
  efi: earlycon: use console_is_registered()
  tty: hvc: use console_is_registered()
  tty: serial: earlycon: use console_is_registered()
  tty: serial: pic32_uart: use console_is_registered()
  tty: serial: samsung_tty: use console_is_registered()
  tty: serial: xilinx_uartps: use console_is_registered()
  usb: early: xhci-dbc: use console_is_registered()
  netconsole: avoid CON_ENABLED misuse to track registration
  printk, xen: fbfront: create/use safe function for forcing preferred
  tty: tty_io: use console_list_lock for list synchronization
  proc: consoles: use console_list_lock for list iteration
  tty: serial: kgdboc: use srcu console list iterator
  tty: serial: kgdboc: use console_list_lock for list traversal
  tty: serial: kgdboc: synchronize tty_find_polling_driver() and
    register_console()
  tty: serial: kgdboc: use console_list_lock to trap exit
  printk: relieve console_lock of list synchronization duties
  tty: serial: sh-sci: use setup() callback for early console

Thomas Gleixner (2):
  serial: kgdboc: Lock console list in probe function
  printk: Convert console_drivers list to hlist

 .clang-format                       |   1 +
 arch/m68k/emu/nfcon.c               |   9 +-
 arch/um/kernel/kmsg_dump.c          |  24 +-
 drivers/firmware/efi/earlycon.c     |   8 +-
 drivers/net/netconsole.c            |  21 +-
 drivers/tty/hvc/hvc_console.c       |   4 +-
 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_core.c |   2 +-
 drivers/tty/serial/earlycon.c       |   4 +-
 drivers/tty/serial/kgdboc.c         |  46 ++-
 drivers/tty/serial/pic32_uart.c     |   4 +-
 drivers/tty/serial/samsung_tty.c    |   2 +-
 drivers/tty/serial/serial_core.c    |  14 +-
 drivers/tty/serial/sh-sci.c         |  20 +-
 drivers/tty/serial/xilinx_uartps.c  |   2 +-
 drivers/tty/tty_io.c                |  18 +-
 drivers/usb/early/xhci-dbc.c        |   2 +-
 drivers/video/fbdev/xen-fbfront.c   |  12 +-
 fs/proc/consoles.c                  |  21 +-
 include/linux/console.h             | 129 +++++++-
 include/linux/serial_core.h         |  10 +-
 kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c           |  18 +-
 kernel/printk/printk.c              | 493 +++++++++++++++++++++-------
 22 files changed, 680 insertions(+), 184 deletions(-)


base-commit: f733615e39aa2d6ddeef33b7b2c9aa6a5a2c2785
-- 
2.30.2

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.

Signed-off-by: John Ogness <john.ogness@linutronix.de>
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek <pmladek@suse.com>
---
 drivers/video/fbdev/xen-fbfront.c | 12 +++-----
 include/linux/console.h           |  1 +
 kernel/printk/printk.c            | 49 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 3 files changed, 51 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/xen-fbfront.c b/drivers/video/fbdev/xen-fbfront.c
index 4d2694d904aa..8752d389e382 100644
--- a/drivers/video/fbdev/xen-fbfront.c
+++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/xen-fbfront.c

@@ -504,18 +504,14 @@ static void xenfb_make_preferred_console(void)
 	if (console_set_on_cmdline)
 		return;
 
-	console_lock();
+	console_list_lock();
 	for_each_console(c) {
 		if (!strcmp(c->name, "tty") && c->index == 0)
 			break;
 	}
-	console_unlock();
-	if (c) {
-		unregister_console(c);
-		c->flags |= CON_CONSDEV;
-		c->flags &= ~CON_PRINTBUFFER; /* don't print again */
-		register_console(c);
-	}
+	if (c)
+		console_force_preferred_locked(c);
+	console_list_unlock();
 }
 
 static int xenfb_resume(struct xenbus_device *dev)

diff --git a/include/linux/console.h b/include/linux/console.h
index f716e1dd9eaf..9cea254b34b8 100644
--- a/include/linux/console.h
+++ b/include/linux/console.h

@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ enum con_flush_mode {
 };
 
 extern int add_preferred_console(char *name, int idx, char *options);
+extern void console_force_preferred_locked(struct console *con);
 extern void register_console(struct console *);
 extern int unregister_console(struct console *);
 extern void console_lock(void);

diff --git a/kernel/printk/printk.c b/kernel/printk/printk.c
index 410d3f2cdeb3..ece34abbc9cc 100644
--- a/kernel/printk/printk.c
+++ b/kernel/printk/printk.c

@@ -247,9 +247,10 @@ int devkmsg_sysctl_set_loglvl(struct ctl_table *table, int write,
 void console_list_lock(void)
 {
 	/*
-	 * In unregister_console(), synchronize_srcu() is called with the
-	 * console_list_lock held. Therefore it is not allowed that the
-	 * console_list_lock is taken with the srcu_lock held.
+	 * In unregister_console() and console_force_preferred_locked(),
+	 * synchronize_srcu() is called with the console_list_lock held.
+	 * Therefore it is not allowed that the console_list_lock is taken
+	 * with the srcu_lock held.
 	 *
 	 * Detecting if this context is really in the read-side critical
 	 * section is only possible if the appropriate debug options are

@@ -3489,6 +3490,48 @@ 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;
+
+	/*
+	 * Delete, but do not re-initialize the entry. This allows the console
+	 * to continue to appear registered (via any hlist_unhashed_lockless()
+	 * checks), even though it was briefly removed from the console list.
+	 */
+	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.
+	 */
+	synchronize_srcu(&console_srcu);
+
+	con->flags |= CON_CONSDEV;
+	WARN_ON(!con->device);
+
+	/* Only the new head can have CON_CONSDEV set. */
+	console_srcu_write_flags(cur_pref_con, cur_pref_con->flags & ~CON_CONSDEV);
+	hlist_add_head_rcu(&con->node, &console_list);
+}
+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.

-- 
2.30.2

On Wed 2022-11-16 17:27:12, John Ogness wrote:

This is v5 of a series to prepare for threaded/atomic
printing. v4 is here [0]. This series focuses on reducing the
scope of the BKL console_lock. It achieves this by switching to
SRCU and a dedicated mutex for console list iteration and
modification, respectively. The console_lock will no longer
offer this protection.

The patchset looks ready for linux-next from my POV.

I am going to push it there right now to get as much testing
as possible before the merge window.

Any review and comments are still appreciate. We could always
take it back if some critical problems are discovered and
can't be solved easily.

Best Regards,
Petr

On Fri 2022-11-18 12:22:58, Petr Mladek wrote:

On Wed 2022-11-16 17:27:12, John Ogness wrote:

quoted

This is v5 of a series to prepare for threaded/atomic
printing. v4 is here [0]. This series focuses on reducing the
scope of the BKL console_lock. It achieves this by switching to
SRCU and a dedicated mutex for console list iteration and
modification, respectively. The console_lock will no longer
offer this protection.

The patchset looks ready for linux-next from my POV.

I am going to push it there right now to get as much testing
as possible before the merge window.

JFYI, the patchset is committed in printk/linux.git,
branch rework/console-list-lock.

I'll eventually merge it into rework/kthreads. But I wanted to have
it separated until it gets some more testing in linux-next and
eventually some more review.

Best Regards,
Petr

On Wed, Nov 16, 2022 at 05:27:12PM +0106, John Ogness wrote:

This is v5 of a series to prepare for threaded/atomic
printing. v4 is here [0]. This series focuses on reducing the
scope of the BKL console_lock. It achieves this by switching to
SRCU and a dedicated mutex for console list iteration and
modification, respectively. The console_lock will no longer
offer this protection.

Also, during the review of v2 it came to our attention that
many console drivers are checking CON_ENABLED to see if they
are registered. Because this flag can change without
unregistering and because this flag does not represent an
atomic point when an (un)registration process is complete,
a new console_is_registered() function is introduced. This
function uses the console_list_lock to synchronize with the
(un)registration process to provide a reliable status.

All users of the console_lock for list iteration have been
modified. For the call sites where the console_lock is still
needed (for other reasons), comments are added to explain
exactly why the console_lock is needed.

All users of CON_ENABLED for registration status have been
modified to use console_is_registered(). Note that there are
still users of CON_ENABLED, but this is for legitimate purposes
about a registered console being able to print.

The base commit for this series is from Paul McKenney's RCU tree
and provides an NMI-safe SRCU implementation [1]. Without the
NMI-safe SRCU implementation, this series is not less safe than
mainline. But we will need the NMI-safe SRCU implementation for
atomic consoles anyway, so we might as well get it in
now. Especially since it _does_ increase the reliability for
mainline in the panic path.

Changes since v4:

printk:

- Introduce console_init_seq() to handle the now rather complex
  procedure to find an appropriate start sequence number for a
  new console upon registration.

- When registering a non-boot console and boot consoles are
  registered, try to flush all the consoles to get the next @seq
  value before falling back to use the @seq of the enabled boot
  console that is furthest behind.

- For console_force_preferred_locked(), make the console the
  head of the console list.

Reviewed-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>