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Date:   Mon, 5 Jun 2023 08:20:11 -0700
From:   Boqun Feng <boqun.feng@gmail.com>
To:     Gary Guo <gary@garyguo.net>
Cc:     "Andreas Hindborg (Samsung)" <nmi@metaspace.dk>,
        Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>,
        rust-for-linux@vger.kernel.org, Miguel Ojeda <ojeda@kernel.org>,
        Wedson Almeida Filho <wedsonaf@gmail.com>,
        Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>,
        Lai Jiangshan <jiangshanlai@gmail.com>,
        Alex Gaynor <alex.gaynor@gmail.com>,
        =?iso-8859-1?Q?Bj=F6rn?= Roy Baron <bjorn3_gh@protonmail.com>,
        Benno Lossin <benno.lossin@proton.me>,
        linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, patches@lists.linux.dev,
        Wedson Almeida Filho <walmeida@microsoft.com>,
        Martin Rodriguez Reboredo <yakoyoku@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 3/8] rust: sync: add `Arc::{from_raw, into_raw}`
Message-ID: <ZH39K83kU2YeCQv1@Boquns-Mac-mini.local>
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 <87v8g61119.fsf@metaspace.dk>
 <20230605153142.28a4093c.gary@garyguo.net>
 <ZH34psABEaq1bHtg@Boquns-Mac-mini.local>
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On Mon, Jun 05, 2023 at 08:00:57AM -0700, Boqun Feng wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 05, 2023 at 03:31:42PM +0100, Gary Guo wrote:
> > On Fri, 02 Jun 2023 12:51:08 +0200
> > "Andreas Hindborg (Samsung)" <nmi@metaspace.dk> wrote:
> > 
> > > Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com> writes:
> > > 
> > > > From: Wedson Almeida Filho <walmeida@microsoft.com>
> > > >
> > > > These methods can be used to turn an `Arc` into a raw pointer and back,
> > > > in a way that preserves the metadata for fat pointers.
> > > >
> > > > This is done using the unstable ptr_metadata feature [1]. However, it
> > > > could also be done using the unstable pointer_byte_offsets feature [2],
> > > > which is likely to have a shorter path to stabilization than
> > > > ptr_metadata.
> > > >
> > > > Link: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/81513 [1]
> > > > Link: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/96283 [2]
> > > > Signed-off-by: Wedson Almeida Filho <walmeida@microsoft.com>
> > > > Co-developed-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>
> > > > Signed-off-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>
> > > > Reviewed-by: Martin Rodriguez Reboredo <yakoyoku@gmail.com>
> > > > ---
> > > >  rust/kernel/lib.rs      |  1 +
> > > >  rust/kernel/sync/arc.rs | 42 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
> > > >  2 files changed, 42 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> > > >
> > > > diff --git a/rust/kernel/lib.rs b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
> > > > index 7ea777b731e6..ad9142928fb1 100644
> > > > --- a/rust/kernel/lib.rs
> > > > +++ b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
> > > > @@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
> > > >  #![feature(const_refs_to_cell)]
> > > >  #![feature(dispatch_from_dyn)]
> > > >  #![feature(new_uninit)]
> > > > +#![feature(ptr_metadata)]
> > > >  #![feature(receiver_trait)]
> > > >  #![feature(unsize)]
> > > >  
> > > > diff --git a/rust/kernel/sync/arc.rs b/rust/kernel/sync/arc.rs
> > > > index a89843cacaad..684be9f73aca 100644
> > > > --- a/rust/kernel/sync/arc.rs
> > > > +++ b/rust/kernel/sync/arc.rs
> > > > @@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
> > > >  };
> > > >  use alloc::boxed::Box;
> > > >  use core::{
> > > > -    alloc::AllocError,
> > > > +    alloc::{AllocError, Layout},
> > > >      fmt,
> > > >      marker::{PhantomData, Unsize},
> > > >      mem::{ManuallyDrop, MaybeUninit},
> > > > @@ -212,6 +212,46 @@ unsafe fn from_inner(inner: NonNull<ArcInner<T>>) -> Self {
> > > >          }
> > > >      }
> > > >  
> > > > +    /// Convert the [`Arc`] into a raw pointer.
> > > > +    ///
> > > > +    /// The raw pointer has ownership of the refcount that this Arc object owned.
> > > > +    pub fn into_raw(self) -> *const T {
> > > > +        let ptr = self.ptr.as_ptr();
> > > > +        core::mem::forget(self);
> > > > +        // SAFETY: The pointer is valid.
> > > > +        unsafe { core::ptr::addr_of!((*ptr).data) }
> > > > +    }
> > > > +
> > > > +    /// Recreates an [`Arc`] instance previously deconstructed via [`Arc::into_raw`].
> > > > +    ///
> > > > +    /// This code relies on the `repr(C)` layout of structs as described in
> > > > +    /// <https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/type-layout.html#reprc-structs>.
> > > > +    ///
> > > > +    /// # Safety
> > > > +    ///
> > > > +    /// `ptr` must have been returned by a previous call to [`Arc::into_raw`]. Additionally, it
> > > > +    /// can only be called once for each previous call to [`Arc::into_raw`].
> > > > +    pub unsafe fn from_raw(ptr: *const T) -> Self {
> > > > +        let refcount_layout = Layout::new::<bindings::refcount_t>();
> > > > +        // SAFETY: The caller guarantees that the pointer is valid.
> > > > +        let val_layout = unsafe { Layout::for_value(&*ptr) };
> > > > +        // SAFETY: We're computing the layout of a real struct that existed when compiling this
> > > > +        // binary, so its layout is not so large that it can trigger arithmetic overflow.
> > > > +        let val_offset = unsafe { refcount_layout.extend(val_layout).unwrap_unchecked().1 };
> > > > +
> > > > +        // This preserves the metadata in the pointer, if any.
> > > > +        //
> > > > +        // Note that `*const T` and `*const ArcInner<T>` have the same metadata as documented at
> > > > +        // <https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/ptr/trait.Pointee.html>.
> > > > +        let metadata = core::ptr::metadata(ptr as *const ArcInner<T>);  
> > > 
> > > Thanks for updating the comment with the link. I looked into this and I
> > > find that what we are doing here, even though it works, does not feel
> > > right at all. We should be able to do this:
> > > 
> > >         let metadata = core::ptr::metadata(ptr);
> > >         let ptr = (ptr as *mut u8).wrapping_sub(val_offset) as *mut ();
> > >         let ptr = core::ptr::from_raw_parts_mut(ptr, metadata);
> > > 
> > > but the way `Pointee::Metadata` is defined will not allow this, even
> > > though we know it is valid. I would suggest the following instead:
> > > 
> > >         let metadata = core::ptr::metadata(ptr);
> > >         // Convert <T as Pointee>::Metadata to <ArcInner<T> as
> > >         // Pointee>::Metadata. We know they have identical representation and thus this is OK.
> > >         let metadata: <ArcInner<T> as Pointee>::Metadata = *unsafe {
> > >             &*((&metadata as *const <T as Pointee>::Metadata as *const ())
> > >                 as *const <ArcInner<T> as Pointee>::Metadata)
> > >         };
> > 
> > This could just be a `transmute_copy`.
> > 
> 
> Or just `transmute`:
> 
> 	let metadata = unsafe {
> 		core::mem::transmute<_, <ArcInner<T> as
> 		Pointee>>::Metadata>(metadata)
> 	};
> 
> ? Since `Pointee::Metadata` is `Copy`.
> 
> Regards,
> Boqun
> 
> > >         let ptr = (ptr as *mut u8).wrapping_sub(val_offset) as *mut ();
> > >         let ptr = core::ptr::from_raw_parts_mut(ptr, metadata);
> > > 
> > > Even though it is a bit more complex, it captures what we are trying to
> > > do better.
> > 
> > I agree this captures the semantics better.
> > 
> 
> I actually wish that we could use `wrapping_byte_offset`[1], and just
> 
> 	// `*const T` and `*const ArcInner<T>` should have the same
> 	// metdata, so convert the pointer type first.
> 	let ptr = ptr as *const ArcInner<T>;
> 
> 	// .. and then adjust the byte offset.
> 	let ptr = ptr.wrapping_byte_offset(-val_offset);
> 
> This may be the opposite direction as Andreas proposed ;-), but the
> result is less code.
> 

(Forget the link to the function)
[1]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/std/primitive.pointer.html#method.wrapping_byte_offset

> Regards,
> Boqun
> 
> > Best,
> > Gary