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Mauricio Faria de Oliveira bb5faa99f0 loop: do not enforce max_loop hard limit by (new) default
Problem:

The max_loop parameter is used for 2 different purposes:

1) initial number of loop devices to pre-create on init
2) maximum number of loop devices to add on access/open()

Historically, its default value (zero) caused 1) to create non-zero
number of devices (CONFIG_BLK_DEV_LOOP_MIN_COUNT), and no hard limit on
2) to add devices with autoloading.

However, the default value changed in commit 85c5019771 ("loop: Fix
the max_loop commandline argument treatment when it is set to 0") to
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_LOOP_MIN_COUNT, for max_loop=0 not to pre-create devices.

That does improve 1), but unfortunately it breaks 2), as the default
behavior changed from no-limit to hard-limit.

Example:

For example, this userspace code broke for N >= CONFIG, if the user
relied on the default value 0 for max_loop:

    mknod("/dev/loopN");
    open("/dev/loopN");  // now fails with ENXIO

Though affected users may "fix" it with (loop.)max_loop=0, this means to
require a kernel parameter change on stable kernel update (that commit
Fixes: an old commit in stable).

Solution:

The original semantics for the default value in 2) can be applied if the
parameter is not set (ie, default behavior).

This still keeps the intended function in 1) and 2) if set, and that
commit's intended improvement in 1) if max_loop=0.

Before 85c50197716c:
  - default:     1) CONFIG devices   2) no limit
  - max_loop=0:  1) CONFIG devices   2) no limit
  - max_loop=X:  1) X devices        2) X limit

After 85c50197716c:
  - default:     1) CONFIG devices   2) CONFIG limit (*)
  - max_loop=0:  1) 0 devices (*)    2) no limit
  - max_loop=X:  1) X devices        2) X limit

This commit:
  - default:     1) CONFIG devices   2) no limit (*)
  - max_loop=0:  1) 0 devices        2) no limit
  - max_loop=X:  1) X devices        2) X limit

Future:

The issue/regression from that commit only affects code under the
CONFIG_BLOCK_LEGACY_AUTOLOAD deprecation guard, thus the fix too is
contained under it.

Once that deprecated functionality/code is removed, the purpose 2) of
max_loop (hard limit) is no longer in use, so the module parameter
description can be changed then.

Tests:

Linux 6.4-rc7
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_LOOP_MIN_COUNT=8
CONFIG_BLOCK_LEGACY_AUTOLOAD=y

- default (original)

	# ls -1 /dev/loop*
	/dev/loop-control
	/dev/loop0
	...
	/dev/loop7

	# ./test-loop
	open: /dev/loop8: No such device or address

- default (patched)

	# ls -1 /dev/loop*
	/dev/loop-control
	/dev/loop0
	...
	/dev/loop7

	# ./test-loop
	#

- max_loop=0 (original & patched):

	# ls -1 /dev/loop*
	/dev/loop-control

	# ./test-loop
	#

- max_loop=8 (original & patched):

	# ls -1 /dev/loop*
	/dev/loop-control
	/dev/loop0
	...
	/dev/loop7

	# ./test-loop
	open: /dev/loop8: No such device or address

- max_loop=0 (patched; CONFIG_BLOCK_LEGACY_AUTOLOAD is not set)

	# ls -1 /dev/loop*
	/dev/loop-control

	# ./test-loop
	open: /dev/loop8: No such device or address

Fixes: 85c5019771 ("loop: Fix the max_loop commandline argument treatment when it is set to 0")
Signed-off-by: Mauricio Faria de Oliveira <mfo@canonical.com>
Reviewed-by: Christoph Hellwig <hch@lst.de>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20230720143033.841001-3-mfo@canonical.com
Signed-off-by: Jens Axboe <axboe@kernel.dk>
2023-07-21 13:20:57 -06:00
Documentation More power management updates for 6.5-rc1 2023-07-04 11:22:50 -07:00
LICENSES LICENSES: Add the copyleft-next-0.3.1 license 2022-11-08 15:44:01 +01:00
arch Scope-based Resource Management infrastructure 2023-07-04 13:50:38 -07:00
block blk-iocost: skip empty flush bio in iocost 2023-07-20 14:02:17 -06:00
certs KEYS: Add missing function documentation 2023-04-24 16:15:52 +03:00
crypto This update includes the following changes: 2023-06-30 21:27:13 -07:00
drivers loop: do not enforce max_loop hard limit by (new) default 2023-07-21 13:20:57 -06:00
fs afs: Fix accidental truncation when storing data 2023-07-04 12:24:32 -07:00
include blk-mq: delete dead struct blk_mq_hw_ctx->queued field 2023-07-20 13:29:25 -06:00
init Kbuild updates for v6.5 2023-07-01 09:24:31 -07:00
io_uring io_uring-6.5-2023-07-03 2023-07-03 18:43:10 -07:00
ipc Merge branch 'work.namespace' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/viro/vfs 2023-02-24 19:20:07 -08:00
kernel module: fix init_module_from_file() error handling 2023-07-04 10:17:11 -07:00
lib sbitmap: fix batching wakeup 2023-07-21 11:40:20 -06:00
mm gup: make the stack expansion warning a bit more targeted 2023-07-05 09:33:31 -07:00
net - New Drivers 2023-07-03 11:26:05 -07:00
rust rust: error: `impl Debug` for `Error` with `errname()` integration 2023-06-13 01:24:42 +02:00
samples Char/Misc and other driver subsystem updates for 6.5-rc1 2023-07-03 12:46:47 -07:00
scripts Scope-based Resource Management infrastructure 2023-07-04 13:50:38 -07:00
security Scope-based Resource Management infrastructure 2023-07-04 13:50:38 -07:00
sound ARM: SoC changes for 6.5 2023-06-29 15:28:33 -07:00
tools virtio: features, fixes, cleanups 2023-07-03 15:38:26 -07:00
usr initramfs: Encode dependency on KBUILD_BUILD_TIMESTAMP 2023-06-06 17:54:49 +09:00
virt ARM64: 2023-07-03 15:32:22 -07:00
.clang-format iommu: Add for_each_group_device() 2023-05-23 08:15:51 +02:00
.cocciconfig
.get_maintainer.ignore get_maintainer: add Alan to .get_maintainer.ignore 2022-08-20 15:17:44 -07:00
.gitattributes .gitattributes: set diff driver for Rust source code files 2023-05-31 17:48:25 +02:00
.gitignore Revert ".gitignore: ignore *.cover and *.mbx" 2023-07-04 15:05:12 -07:00
.mailmap - New Drivers 2023-07-03 10:55:04 -07:00
.rustfmt.toml rust: add `.rustfmt.toml` 2022-09-28 09:02:20 +02:00
COPYING COPYING: state that all contributions really are covered by this file 2020-02-10 13:32:20 -08:00
CREDITS - Address -Wmissing-prototype warnings 2023-06-26 16:43:54 -07:00
Kbuild Kbuild updates for v6.1 2022-10-10 12:00:45 -07:00
Kconfig kbuild: ensure full rebuild when the compiler is updated 2020-05-12 13:28:33 +09:00
MAINTAINERS power supply and reset changes for the 6.5 series 2023-07-03 17:23:16 -07:00
Makefile Scope-based Resource Management infrastructure 2023-07-04 13:50:38 -07:00
README

README

Linux kernel
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