diff mbox series

efi_loader: add comments on efi_file_from_path() regarding alignment

Message ID 20221110133131.237955-1-ilias.apalodimas@linaro.org
State Accepted
Commit 94a574d8f6116a12def77fbf9a92f02a430a1d12
Headers show
Series efi_loader: add comments on efi_file_from_path() regarding alignment | expand

Commit Message

Ilias Apalodimas Nov. 10, 2022, 1:31 p.m. UTC
UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to protocol member
functions to be aligned.  There's a u16_strdup in that function which
doesn't make sense otherwise  Add a comment so no one removes it
accidentally

Signed-off-by: Ilias Apalodimas <ilias.apalodimas@linaro.org>
---
 lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

Comments

Heinrich Schuchardt Nov. 10, 2022, 1:46 p.m. UTC | #1
On 11/10/22 14:31, Ilias Apalodimas wrote:
> UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to protocol member
> functions to be aligned.  There's a u16_strdup in that function which
> doesn't make sense otherwise  Add a comment so no one removes it
> accidentally
> 
> Signed-off-by: Ilias Apalodimas <ilias.apalodimas@linaro.org>
> ---
>   lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c | 5 +++++
>   1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> index 8480ed3007c7..5c254ccdd64d 100644
> --- a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> +++ b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> @@ -1135,6 +1135,11 @@ struct efi_file_handle *efi_file_from_path(struct efi_device_path *fp)
>   			return NULL;
>   		}
>   
> +		/*
> +		 * UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to
> +		 * protocol member functions to be aligned.  So memcpy it
> +		 * unconditionally
> +		 */
>   		filename = u16_strdup(fdp->str);

On ARM we enable unaligned access which is supported by the CPU. On 
RISC-V unaligned access is emulated by OpenSBI which is very slow. 
Therefore copying make sense.

u16_strdup() calls u16_strsize() which itself is not caring about 
alignment. So this u16_strdup does not resolve all alignment issues.

We could use the length field of the file path node to determine the 
length of the string to be copied and invoke

     malloc(fdp->length - 4).
     memcpy(,, fdp->length - 4).

This would be better performance wise on RISC-V.

Best regards

Heinrich

>   		if (!filename)
>   			return NULL;
Ilias Apalodimas Nov. 10, 2022, 2:09 p.m. UTC | #2
Hi Heinrich

On Thu, 10 Nov 2022 at 15:46, Heinrich Schuchardt
<heinrich.schuchardt@canonical.com> wrote:
>
> On 11/10/22 14:31, Ilias Apalodimas wrote:
> > UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to protocol member
> > functions to be aligned.  There's a u16_strdup in that function which
> > doesn't make sense otherwise  Add a comment so no one removes it
> > accidentally
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Ilias Apalodimas <ilias.apalodimas@linaro.org>
> > ---
> >   lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c | 5 +++++
> >   1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)
> >
> > diff --git a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> > index 8480ed3007c7..5c254ccdd64d 100644
> > --- a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> > +++ b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> > @@ -1135,6 +1135,11 @@ struct efi_file_handle *efi_file_from_path(struct efi_device_path *fp)
> >                       return NULL;
> >               }
> >
> > +             /*
> > +              * UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to
> > +              * protocol member functions to be aligned.  So memcpy it
> > +              * unconditionally
> > +              */
> >               filename = u16_strdup(fdp->str);
>
> On ARM we enable unaligned access which is supported by the CPU. On
> RISC-V unaligned access is emulated by OpenSBI which is very slow.
> Therefore copying make sense.
>
> u16_strdup() calls u16_strsize() which itself is not caring about
> alignment. So this u16_strdup does not resolve all alignment issues.
>
> We could use the length field of the file path node to determine the
> length of the string to be copied and invoke
>
>      malloc(fdp->length - 4).
>      memcpy(,, fdp->length - 4).
>
> This would be better performance wise on RISC-V.

Sure that makes sense.  But the comment is for EFI functions that have
that string as an argument.  Will you pick the comment and I can send
that on a followup patch?

Thanks
/Ilias
>
> Best regards
>
> Heinrich
>
> >               if (!filename)
> >                       return NULL;
>
Heinrich Schuchardt Nov. 10, 2022, 2:13 p.m. UTC | #3
On 11/10/22 15:09, Ilias Apalodimas wrote:
> Hi Heinrich
> 
> On Thu, 10 Nov 2022 at 15:46, Heinrich Schuchardt
> <heinrich.schuchardt@canonical.com> wrote:
>>
>> On 11/10/22 14:31, Ilias Apalodimas wrote:
>>> UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to protocol member
>>> functions to be aligned.  There's a u16_strdup in that function which
>>> doesn't make sense otherwise  Add a comment so no one removes it
>>> accidentally
>>>
>>> Signed-off-by: Ilias Apalodimas <ilias.apalodimas@linaro.org>
>>> ---
>>>    lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c | 5 +++++
>>>    1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)
>>>
>>> diff --git a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
>>> index 8480ed3007c7..5c254ccdd64d 100644
>>> --- a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
>>> +++ b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
>>> @@ -1135,6 +1135,11 @@ struct efi_file_handle *efi_file_from_path(struct efi_device_path *fp)
>>>                        return NULL;
>>>                }
>>>
>>> +             /*
>>> +              * UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to
>>> +              * protocol member functions to be aligned.  So memcpy it
>>> +              * unconditionally
>>> +              */
>>>                filename = u16_strdup(fdp->str);
>>
>> On ARM we enable unaligned access which is supported by the CPU. On
>> RISC-V unaligned access is emulated by OpenSBI which is very slow.
>> Therefore copying make sense.
>>
>> u16_strdup() calls u16_strsize() which itself is not caring about
>> alignment. So this u16_strdup does not resolve all alignment issues.
>>
>> We could use the length field of the file path node to determine the
>> length of the string to be copied and invoke
>>
>>       malloc(fdp->length - 4).
>>       memcpy(,, fdp->length - 4).
>>
>> This would be better performance wise on RISC-V.
> 
> Sure that makes sense.  But the comment is for EFI functions that have
> that string as an argument.  Will you pick the comment and I can send
> that on a followup patch?
> 
> Thanks
> /Ilias

Reviewed-by: Heinrich Schuchardt <heinrich.schuchardt@canonical.com>

>>
>> Best regards
>>
>> Heinrich
>>
>>>                if (!filename)
>>>                        return NULL;
>>
Heinrich Schuchardt Nov. 10, 2022, 5:24 p.m. UTC | #4
On 11/10/22 14:31, Ilias Apalodimas wrote:
> UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to protocol member
> functions to be aligned.  There's a u16_strdup in that function which
> doesn't make sense otherwise  Add a comment so no one removes it
> accidentally
>
> Signed-off-by: Ilias Apalodimas <ilias.apalodimas@linaro.org>
> ---
>   lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c | 5 +++++
>   1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> index 8480ed3007c7..5c254ccdd64d 100644
> --- a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> +++ b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
> @@ -1135,6 +1135,11 @@ struct efi_file_handle *efi_file_from_path(struct efi_device_path *fp)
>   			return NULL;
>   		}
>
> +		/*
> +		 * UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to
> +		 * protocol member functions to be aligned.  So memcpy it
> +		 * unconditionally
> +		 */
>   		filename = u16_strdup(fdp->str);
>   		if (!filename)
>   			return NULL;

Reviewed-by: Heinrich Schuchardt <xypron.glpk@gmx.de>
diff mbox series

Patch

diff --git a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
index 8480ed3007c7..5c254ccdd64d 100644
--- a/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
+++ b/lib/efi_loader/efi_file.c
@@ -1135,6 +1135,11 @@  struct efi_file_handle *efi_file_from_path(struct efi_device_path *fp)
 			return NULL;
 		}
 
+		/*
+		 * UEFI specification requires pointers that are passed to
+		 * protocol member functions to be aligned.  So memcpy it
+		 * unconditionally
+		 */
 		filename = u16_strdup(fdp->str);
 		if (!filename)
 			return NULL;