# Re: \[PATCH RESEND 09/12\] mm: make vm\_area\_desc utilise vma\_flags\_t only

- From: Arnd Bergmann \<arnd@arndb.de\>
- Date: 2026-01-20 16:45:05 
- List: linux-security-module
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-security-module/2026/01/337632
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/nvdimm/2026/01/337478/t.md

```text
On Tue, Jan 20, 2026, at 17:22, Lorenzo Stoakes wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 05:00:28PM +0100, Arnd Bergmann wrote:
>> On Tue, Jan 20, 2026, at 16:10, Lorenzo Stoakes wrote:
>> >
>> > It strikes me that the key optimisation here is the inlining, now if the issue
>> > is that ye olde compiler might choose not to inline very small functions (seems
>> > unlikely) we could always throw in an __always_inline?
>>
>> I can think of three specific things going wrong with structures passed
>> by value:
>
> I mean now you seem to be talking about it _in general_ which, _in theory_,
> kills the whole concept of bitmap VMA flags _altogether_ really, or at
> least any workable version of them.

No, what I'm saying is "understand what the pitfalls are", not
"don't do it". I think that is what Jason was also getting at.

     Arnd
```