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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/bpf/bpf_devel_QA.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/bpf/bpf_devel_QA.rst | 59 |
1 files changed, 34 insertions, 25 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/bpf/bpf_devel_QA.rst b/Documentation/bpf/bpf_devel_QA.rst index 03d4993eda6f..45bc5c5cd793 100644 --- a/Documentation/bpf/bpf_devel_QA.rst +++ b/Documentation/bpf/bpf_devel_QA.rst @@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ workflows related to reporting bugs, submitting patches, and queueing patches for stable kernels. For general information about submitting patches, please refer to -`Documentation/process/`_. This document only describes additional specifics -related to BPF. +Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst. This document only describes +additional specifics related to BPF. .. contents:: :local: @@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ into the bpf-next tree will make their way into net-next tree. net and net-next are both run by David S. Miller. From there, they will go into the kernel mainline tree run by Linus Torvalds. To read up on the process of net and net-next being merged into the mainline tree, see -the :ref:`netdev-FAQ` +the documentation on netdev subsystem at +Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst. @@ -147,7 +148,8 @@ request):: Q: How do I indicate which tree (bpf vs. bpf-next) my patch should be applied to? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -A: The process is the very same as described in the :ref:`netdev-FAQ`, +A: The process is the very same as described in the netdev subsystem +documentation at Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst, so please read up on it. The subject line must indicate whether the patch is a fix or rather "next-like" content in order to let the maintainers know whether it is targeted at bpf or bpf-next. @@ -206,8 +208,9 @@ ii) run extensive BPF test suite and Once the BPF pull request was accepted by David S. Miller, then the patches end up in net or net-next tree, respectively, and make their way from there further into mainline. Again, see the -:ref:`netdev-FAQ` for additional information e.g. on how often they are -merged to mainline. +documentation for netdev subsystem at +Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst for additional information +e.g. on how often they are merged to mainline. Q: How long do I need to wait for feedback on my BPF patches? ------------------------------------------------------------- @@ -230,7 +233,8 @@ Q: Are patches applied to bpf-next when the merge window is open? ----------------------------------------------------------------- A: For the time when the merge window is open, bpf-next will not be processed. This is roughly analogous to net-next patch processing, -so feel free to read up on the :ref:`netdev-FAQ` about further details. +so feel free to read up on the netdev docs at +Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst about further details. During those two weeks of merge window, we might ask you to resend your patch series once bpf-next is open again. Once Linus released @@ -378,6 +382,14 @@ In case of new BPF instructions, once the changes have been accepted into the Linux kernel, please implement support into LLVM's BPF back end. See LLVM_ section below for further information. +Q: What "BPF_INTERNAL" symbol namespace is for? +----------------------------------------------- +A: Symbols exported as BPF_INTERNAL can only be used by BPF infrastructure +like preload kernel modules with light skeleton. Most symbols outside +of BPF_INTERNAL are not expected to be used by code outside of BPF either. +Symbols may lack the designation because they predate the namespaces, +or due to an oversight. + Stable submission ================= @@ -394,7 +406,8 @@ netdev kernel mailing list in Cc and ask for the fix to be queued up: netdev@vger.kernel.org The process in general is the same as on netdev itself, see also the -:ref:`netdev-FAQ`. +the documentation on networking subsystem at +Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst. Q: Do you also backport to kernels not currently maintained as stable? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @@ -410,7 +423,7 @@ Q: The BPF patch I am about to submit needs to go to stable as well What should I do? A: The same rules apply as with netdev patch submissions in general, see -the :ref:`netdev-FAQ`. +the netdev docs at Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst. Never add "``Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org``" to the patch description, but ask the BPF maintainers to queue the patches instead. This can be done @@ -461,15 +474,15 @@ needed:: $ sudo make run_tests -See the kernels selftest `Documentation/dev-tools/kselftest.rst`_ -document for further documentation. +See :doc:`kernel selftest documentation </dev-tools/kselftest>` +for details. To maximize the number of tests passing, the .config of the kernel under test should match the config file fragment in tools/testing/selftests/bpf as closely as possible. Finally to ensure support for latest BPF Type Format features - -discussed in `Documentation/bpf/btf.rst`_ - pahole version 1.16 +discussed in Documentation/bpf/btf.rst - pahole version 1.16 is required for kernels built with CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO_BTF=y. pahole is delivered in the dwarves package or can be built from source at @@ -598,9 +611,10 @@ Q: I have added a new BPF instruction to the kernel, how can I integrate it into LLVM? A: LLVM has a ``-mcpu`` selector for the BPF back end in order to allow -the selection of BPF instruction set extensions. By default the -``generic`` processor target is used, which is the base instruction set -(v1) of BPF. +the selection of BPF instruction set extensions. Before llvm version 20, +the ``generic`` processor target is used, which is the base instruction +set (v1) of BPF. Since llvm 20, the default processor target has changed +to instruction set v3. LLVM has an option to select ``-mcpu=probe`` where it will probe the host kernel for supported BPF instruction set extensions and selects the @@ -630,12 +644,12 @@ test coverage. Q: clang flag for target bpf? ----------------------------- -Q: In some cases clang flag ``-target bpf`` is used but in other cases the +Q: In some cases clang flag ``--target=bpf`` is used but in other cases the default clang target, which matches the underlying architecture, is used. What is the difference and when I should use which? A: Although LLVM IR generation and optimization try to stay architecture -independent, ``-target <arch>`` still has some impact on generated code: +independent, ``--target=<arch>`` still has some impact on generated code: - BPF program may recursively include header file(s) with file scope inline assembly codes. The default target can handle this well, @@ -653,7 +667,7 @@ independent, ``-target <arch>`` still has some impact on generated code: The clang option ``-fno-jump-tables`` can be used to disable switch table generation. -- For clang ``-target bpf``, it is guaranteed that pointer or long / +- For clang ``--target=bpf``, it is guaranteed that pointer or long / unsigned long types will always have a width of 64 bit, no matter whether underlying clang binary or default target (or kernel) is 32 bit. However, when native clang target is used, then it will @@ -663,7 +677,7 @@ independent, ``-target <arch>`` still has some impact on generated code: while the BPF LLVM back end still operates in 64 bit. The native target is mostly needed in tracing for the case of walking ``pt_regs`` or other kernel structures where CPU's register width matters. - Otherwise, ``clang -target bpf`` is generally recommended. + Otherwise, ``clang --target=bpf`` is generally recommended. You should use default target when: @@ -680,16 +694,11 @@ when: into these structures is verified by the BPF verifier and may result in verification failures if the native architecture is not aligned with the BPF architecture, e.g. 64-bit. An example of this is - BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_MSG require ``-target bpf`` + BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_MSG require ``--target=bpf`` .. Links -.. _Documentation/process/: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/ -.. _netdev-FAQ: Documentation/process/maintainer-netdev.rst .. _selftests: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/ -.. _Documentation/dev-tools/kselftest.rst: - https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/dev-tools/kselftest.html -.. _Documentation/bpf/btf.rst: btf.rst Happy BPF hacking! |