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authorLinus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>2026-09-13 12:27:00 -0700
committerLinus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>2026-09-13 12:27:00 -0700
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Merge tag 'trace-v7.3-rc2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-tracegrafted
Pull tracing fixes from Steven Rostedt: - Don't destroy user event fields when removal fails User event fields are destroyed before the event is removed from visibility. But that can fail leaving the still visible event with no fields. Move the destroying of the fields to after the event is successfully removed from visibility. - Initialize function graph state is fork before calling copy_exec_state() For non-CLONE_VM forks, copy_exec_state() allocates a new task_exec_state. If that allocation fails, ftrace_graph_exit_task() will free the tasks ret_stack pointer. Since that pointer is still using the parent's ret_stack, it mistakenly frees the parent's pointer too. Call ftrace_graph_init() on the task first which will NULL out the new tasks's ret_stack and if the copy fails, it will not free anything. - Remove FGRAPH_MAX_INDEX The macro FGRAPH_MAX_INDEX was added but never used. Remove it. - Save ent_size in function graph printing of nested functions The function graph tracer needs to look at the next event to see if the next event is the return of the current function entry. If it is, it prints a single line: ktime_get(); Otherwise it prints it like a nested function: tick_nohz_irq_exit() { ktime_get(); kcpustat_irq_exit(); } In order to look at the next event, it must save the current event so that it has the information to print from it. It saves the event in the iterator descriptor called "ent". What it doesn't save is the ent_size of the event which is now used to know if the function graph arguments are to be printed. The peek doesn't save the size so the size used happens to be that of the size of the last event that was seen. Save the entry event size in the iterator descriptor so that the correct size is used. - Fix several errors with freeing data in the histogram code The histogram code had a lot of leaked or or incorrect accounting when failures happen. Correct them. - Fix histogram regression of .percent and .graph modifiers Up until 6.3 histogram values could have "percent" or "graph" modifiers that changed how they were printed. But a change that added restricting histograms values from being strings, stack traces and other modifiers inadvertently prevented them from using the percent and graph modifiers, which were legal use cases for values. Put back the percent and graph modifiers. - Fix various typos in the comments - Set the trace_clock before initializing a histogram with clock argument The histogram API allows the user to specific which trace clock to use via a "clock=" string. The histogram is set up first before the clock is checked. If the passed in clock is not valid, it exits without fully fixing up the histogram leaving it on the list and a use-after-free can trigger. Update the clock argument first and if it fails then exit gracefully before the histogram trigger is placed on any lists. - Restore :mod: trailer after parsing in ftrace_set_clr_event The function ftrace_set_clr_event() modifies the parse string and needs to put it back to what was passed in. It searches for ":mod:" via a strsep() but fails to put back the first ':' in the string. Add back the ':' in the passed in string. - Take trace_array reference when opening a tracer options file The options files are dynamically created and some tracers add their own options. When a tracer adds their own list of options, the trace_array holding them has an array to hold the list of options for each tracer. This array increases in size via a krealloc(), and the new entry gets a newly allocated array to hold the options of the new tracer being added. The element in each entry of the tracer's option array holds a pointer back to the trace_array, a pointer to the tracer it is associated to, a pointer to the flags of the option. The issue is that these arrays are freed when the trace_array is freed when its instance it represents is removed from the instances directory. There's a race that an open of one of these options files can happen when the instance is being removed. Add a new helper function to be called by the open function of the options file to iterate all existing trace_arrays under a lock and find the one that has the given option element in one of it's tracer arrays. If found, then update the associated trace_array's reference counter to keep it from being freed. If not found, have the open call return -ENODEV. - Disable interrupts when acquiring the lock in rb_wake_up_waiters() The function rb_wake_up_waiters() assumes it will be called in interrupt context and does not disable irqs when taking cpu_buffer->reader_lock, which can be called in hard interrupt context. The issue is in PREEMPT_RT, this function is called in thread context leaving this lock open to a deadlock. Take the lock with interrupts disabled. - Use rcu_assign_pointer() for tmp_ops filter hash The tmp_ops used in update_ftrace_direct_mod() assigns its filter_hash field directly, but that field is annotated as __rcu and sparse complains. Assign it with rcu_assign_pointer() - Fix use-after-free in enable_trigger_private_data_free() The trace_event_call is accessed through the event_trigger_data's trace_event_file pointer to put the trace_event_call on freeing. The issue is that the trace_event_file data may have been freed already causing a use-after-free. Add a field to the event_trigger_data that points directly to the trace_event_call so that it can decrement its reference directly without needing to go through the trace_event_file. - Fix accounting of buffer data remote headers trace_buffer_desc_size() and trace_remote_alloc_buffer() undercount the number of pages is needed for the asked for size as it doesn't take into account the meta data on each page. Add a helper function to do the calculation properly and use that in these functions. - Catch nr_page_va overflow in ring_buffer_desc sizing The number of pages per remote ring buffer is capped by ring_buffer_desc::nr_page_va (32 bits). A buffer_size large enough to overflow that field would silently allocate a descriptor smaller than what was asked for. - Do not resize the subbuf order if any per_cpu buffer is disabled The mmapping of ring buffers disables resizing the subbuffers, but it is done per-cpu whereas the subbuf size change is done for all the per_cpu buffers under the buffer->mutex. It could change the size of some while the mapping is happening on others. Have the resize of the subbuf order check all the per_cpu buffers under the lock to see if any of them is disabled before starting and causing an inconsistency between buffers that are being mapped. * tag 'trace-v7.3-rc2' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/trace/linux-trace: (25 commits) ring-buffer: Check resize_disabled before publishing the new subbuf order tracing/remotes: Catch nr_page_va overflow in ring_buffer_desc sizing tracing/remotes: Account for ring buffer page header in size calculation tracing: Don't dereference trace_event_file in deferred trigger free ftrace: Use rcu_assign_pointer() for tmp_ops filter hash ring-buffer: Acquire the lock with irqsave in rb_wake_up_waiters() tracing: Take trace_array reference when opening a tracer options file tracing: Fix ring_buffer_read_page_size() kernel-doc tracing: Restore :mod: trailer after parsing in ftrace_set_clr_event() tracing: Fix memory corruption from a "STACKTRACE" histogram key tracing: Fix memory corruption from the histogram stacktrace modifier tracing: Undo the registration when enabling the histogram trigger fails tracing: Take the reference before publishing the named histogram trigger tracing: Set the trace clock before registering the histogram trigger tracing: Fix typo "preceeded" in comment tracing: Fix typo "availabe" in comment tracing: Let histogram values keep the percent and graph modifiers tracing: Keep the entry count when the histogram stats allocation fails tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier tracing: Free histogram the var ref when its initialization fails ...
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+Using the initial RAM disk (initrd)
+===================================
+
+Written 1996,2000 by Werner Almesberger <werner.almesberger@epfl.ch> and
+Hans Lermen <lermen@fgan.de>
+
+
+initrd provides the capability to load a RAM disk by the boot loader.
+This RAM disk can then be mounted as the root file system and programs
+can be run from it. Afterwards, a new root file system can be mounted
+from a different device. The previous root (from initrd) is then moved
+to a directory and can be subsequently unmounted.
+
+initrd is mainly designed to allow system startup to occur in two phases,
+where the kernel comes up with a minimum set of compiled-in drivers, and
+where additional modules are loaded from initrd.
+
+This document gives a brief overview of the use of initrd. A more detailed
+discussion of the boot process can be found in [#f1]_.
+
+
+Operation
+---------
+
+When using initrd, the system typically boots as follows:
+
+ 1) the boot loader loads the kernel and the initial RAM disk
+ 2) the kernel converts initrd into a "normal" RAM disk and
+ frees the memory used by initrd
+ 3) if the root device is not ``/dev/ram0``, the old (deprecated)
+ change_root procedure is followed. see the "Obsolete root change
+ mechanism" section below.
+ 4) root device is mounted. if it is ``/dev/ram0``, the initrd image is
+ then mounted as root
+ 5) /sbin/init is executed (this can be any valid executable, including
+ shell scripts; it is run with uid 0 and can do basically everything
+ init can do).
+ 6) init mounts the "real" root file system
+ 7) init places the root file system at the root directory using the
+ pivot_root system call
+ 8) init execs the ``/sbin/init`` on the new root filesystem, performing
+ the usual boot sequence
+ 9) the initrd file system is removed
+
+Note that changing the root directory does not involve unmounting it.
+It is therefore possible to leave processes running on initrd during that
+procedure. Also note that file systems mounted under initrd continue to
+be accessible.
+
+
+Boot command-line options
+-------------------------
+
+initrd adds the following new options::
+
+ initrd=<path> (e.g. LOADLIN)
+
+ Loads the specified file as the initial RAM disk. When using LILO, you
+ have to specify the RAM disk image file in /etc/lilo.conf, using the
+ INITRD configuration variable.
+
+ noinitrd
+
+ initrd data is preserved but it is not converted to a RAM disk and
+ the "normal" root file system is mounted. initrd data can be read
+ from /dev/initrd. Note that the data in initrd can have any structure
+ in this case and doesn't necessarily have to be a file system image.
+ This option is used mainly for debugging.
+
+ Note: /dev/initrd is read-only and it can only be used once. As soon
+ as the last process has closed it, all data is freed and /dev/initrd
+ can't be opened anymore.
+
+ root=/dev/ram0
+
+ initrd is mounted as root, and the normal boot procedure is followed,
+ with the RAM disk mounted as root.
+
+Compressed cpio images
+----------------------
+
+Recent kernels have support for populating a ramdisk from a compressed cpio
+archive. On such systems, the creation of a ramdisk image doesn't need to
+involve special block devices or loopbacks; you merely create a directory on
+disk with the desired initrd content, cd to that directory, and run (as an
+example)::
+
+ find . | cpio --quiet -H newc -o | gzip -9 -n > /boot/imagefile.img
+
+Examining the contents of an existing image file is just as simple::
+
+ mkdir /tmp/imagefile
+ cd /tmp/imagefile
+ gzip -cd /boot/imagefile.img | cpio -imd --quiet
+
+Installation
+------------
+
+First, a directory for the initrd file system has to be created on the
+"normal" root file system, e.g.::
+
+ # mkdir /initrd
+
+The name is not relevant. More details can be found on the
+:manpage:`pivot_root(2)` man page.
+
+If the root file system is created during the boot procedure (i.e. if
+you're building an install floppy), the root file system creation
+procedure should create the ``/initrd`` directory.
+
+If initrd will not be mounted in some cases, its content is still
+accessible if the following device has been created::
+
+ # mknod /dev/initrd b 1 250
+ # chmod 400 /dev/initrd
+
+Second, the kernel has to be compiled with RAM disk support and with
+support for the initial RAM disk enabled. Also, at least all components
+needed to execute programs from initrd (e.g. executable format and file
+system) must be compiled into the kernel.
+
+Third, you have to create the RAM disk image. This is done by creating a
+file system on a block device, copying files to it as needed, and then
+copying the content of the block device to the initrd file. With recent
+kernels, at least three types of devices are suitable for that:
+
+ - a floppy disk (works everywhere but it's painfully slow)
+ - a RAM disk (fast, but allocates physical memory)
+ - a loopback device (the most elegant solution)
+
+We'll describe the loopback device method:
+
+ 1) make sure loopback block devices are configured into the kernel
+ 2) create an empty file system of the appropriate size, e.g.::
+
+ # dd if=/dev/zero of=initrd bs=300k count=1
+ # mke2fs -F -m0 initrd
+
+ (if space is critical, you may want to use the Minix FS instead of Ext2)
+ 3) mount the file system, e.g.::
+
+ # mount -t ext2 -o loop initrd /mnt
+
+ 4) create the console device::
+
+ # mkdir /mnt/dev
+ # mknod /mnt/dev/console c 5 1
+
+ 5) copy all the files that are needed to properly use the initrd
+ environment. Don't forget the most important file, ``/sbin/init``
+
+ .. note:: ``/sbin/init`` permissions must include "x" (execute).
+
+ 6) correct operation the initrd environment can frequently be tested
+ even without rebooting with the command::
+
+ # chroot /mnt /sbin/init
+
+ This is of course limited to initrds that do not interfere with the
+ general system state (e.g. by reconfiguring network interfaces,
+ overwriting mounted devices, trying to start already running demons,
+ etc. Note however that it is usually possible to use pivot_root in
+ such a chroot'ed initrd environment.)
+ 7) unmount the file system::
+
+ # umount /mnt
+
+ 8) the initrd is now in the file "initrd". Optionally, it can now be
+ compressed::
+
+ # gzip -9 initrd
+
+For experimenting with initrd, you may want to take a rescue floppy and
+only add a symbolic link from ``/sbin/init`` to ``/bin/sh``. Alternatively, you
+can try the experimental newlib environment [#f2]_ to create a small
+initrd.
+
+Finally, you have to boot the kernel and load initrd. Almost all Linux
+boot loaders support initrd. Since the boot process is still compatible
+with an older mechanism, the following boot command line parameters
+have to be given::
+
+ root=/dev/ram0 rw
+
+(rw is only necessary if writing to the initrd file system.)
+
+With LOADLIN, you simply execute::
+
+ LOADLIN <kernel> initrd=<disk_image>
+
+e.g.::
+
+ LOADLIN C:\LINUX\BZIMAGE initrd=C:\LINUX\INITRD.GZ root=/dev/ram0 rw
+
+With LILO, you add the option ``INITRD=<path>`` to either the global section
+or to the section of the respective kernel in ``/etc/lilo.conf``, and pass
+the options using APPEND, e.g.::
+
+ image = /bzImage
+ initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
+ append = "root=/dev/ram0 rw"
+
+and run ``/sbin/lilo``
+
+For other boot loaders, please refer to the respective documentation.
+
+Now you can boot and enjoy using initrd.
+
+
+Changing the root device
+------------------------
+
+When finished with its duties, init typically changes the root device
+and proceeds with starting the Linux system on the "real" root device.
+
+The procedure involves the following steps:
+ - mounting the new root file system
+ - turning it into the root file system
+ - removing all accesses to the old (initrd) root file system
+ - unmounting the initrd file system and de-allocating the RAM disk
+
+Mounting the new root file system is easy: it just needs to be mounted on
+a directory under the current root. Example::
+
+ # mkdir /new-root
+ # mount -o ro /dev/hda1 /new-root
+
+The root change is accomplished with the pivot_root system call, which
+is also available via the ``pivot_root`` utility (see :manpage:`pivot_root(8)`
+man page; ``pivot_root`` is distributed with util-linux version 2.10h or higher
+[#f3]_). ``pivot_root`` moves the current root to a directory under the new
+root, and puts the new root at its place. The directory for the old root
+must exist before calling ``pivot_root``. Example::
+
+ # cd /new-root
+ # mkdir initrd
+ # pivot_root . initrd
+
+Now, the init process may still access the old root via its
+executable, shared libraries, standard input/output/error, and its
+current root directory. All these references are dropped by the
+following command::
+
+ # exec chroot . what-follows <dev/console >dev/console 2>&1
+
+Where what-follows is a program under the new root, e.g. ``/sbin/init``
+If the new root file system will be used with udev and has no valid
+``/dev`` directory, udev must be initialized before invoking chroot in order
+to provide ``/dev/console``.
+
+Note: implementation details of pivot_root may change with time. In order
+to ensure compatibility, the following points should be observed:
+
+ - before calling pivot_root, the current directory of the invoking
+ process should point to the new root directory
+ - use . as the first argument, and the _relative_ path of the directory
+ for the old root as the second argument
+ - a chroot program must be available under the old and the new root
+ - chroot to the new root afterwards
+ - use relative paths for dev/console in the exec command
+
+Now, the initrd can be unmounted and the memory allocated by the RAM
+disk can be freed::
+
+ # umount /initrd
+ # blockdev --flushbufs /dev/ram0
+
+It is also possible to use initrd with an NFS-mounted root, see the
+:manpage:`pivot_root(8)` man page for details.
+
+
+Usage scenarios
+---------------
+
+The main motivation for implementing initrd was to allow for modular
+kernel configuration at system installation. The procedure would work
+as follows:
+
+ 1) system boots from floppy or other media with a minimal kernel
+ (e.g. support for RAM disks, initrd, a.out, and the Ext2 FS) and
+ loads initrd
+ 2) ``/sbin/init`` determines what is needed to (1) mount the "real" root FS
+ (i.e. device type, device drivers, file system) and (2) the
+ distribution media (e.g. CD-ROM, network, tape, ...). This can be
+ done by asking the user, by auto-probing, or by using a hybrid
+ approach.
+ 3) ``/sbin/init`` loads the necessary kernel modules
+ 4) ``/sbin/init`` creates and populates the root file system (this doesn't
+ have to be a very usable system yet)
+ 5) ``/sbin/init`` invokes ``pivot_root`` to change the root file system and
+ execs - via chroot - a program that continues the installation
+ 6) the boot loader is installed
+ 7) the boot loader is configured to load an initrd with the set of
+ modules that was used to bring up the system (e.g. ``/initrd`` can be
+ modified, then unmounted, and finally, the image is written from
+ ``/dev/ram0`` or ``/dev/rd/0`` to a file)
+ 8) now the system is bootable and additional installation tasks can be
+ performed
+
+The key role of initrd here is to reuse the configuration data during
+normal system operation without requiring the use of a bloated "generic"
+kernel or re-compiling or re-linking the kernel.
+
+A second scenario is for installations where Linux runs on systems with
+different hardware configurations in a single administrative domain. In
+such cases, it is desirable to generate only a small set of kernels
+(ideally only one) and to keep the system-specific part of configuration
+information as small as possible. In this case, a common initrd could be
+generated with all the necessary modules. Then, only ``/sbin/init`` or a file
+read by it would have to be different.
+
+A third scenario is more convenient recovery disks, because information
+like the location of the root FS partition doesn't have to be provided at
+boot time, but the system loaded from initrd can invoke a user-friendly
+dialog and it can also perform some sanity checks (or even some form of
+auto-detection).
+
+Last not least, CD-ROM distributors may use it for better installation
+from CD, e.g. by using a boot floppy and bootstrapping a bigger RAM disk
+via initrd from CD; or by booting via a loader like ``LOADLIN`` or directly
+from the CD-ROM, and loading the RAM disk from CD without need of
+floppies.
+
+
+Obsolete root change mechanism
+------------------------------
+
+The following mechanism was used before the introduction of pivot_root.
+Current kernels still support it, but you should _not_ rely on its
+continued availability.
+
+It works by mounting the "real" root device (i.e. the one set with rdev
+in the kernel image or with root=... at the boot command line) as the
+root file system when linuxrc exits. The initrd file system is then
+unmounted, or, if it is still busy, moved to a directory ``/initrd``, if
+such a directory exists on the new root file system.
+
+In order to use this mechanism, you do not have to specify the boot
+command options root, init, or rw. (If specified, they will affect
+the real root file system, not the initrd environment.)
+
+If /proc is mounted, the "real" root device can be changed from within
+linuxrc by writing the number of the new root FS device to the special
+file /proc/sys/kernel/real-root-dev, e.g.::
+
+ # echo 0x301 >/proc/sys/kernel/real-root-dev
+
+Note that the mechanism is incompatible with NFS and similar file
+systems.
+
+This old, deprecated mechanism is commonly called ``change_root``, while
+the new, supported mechanism is called ``pivot_root``.
+
+
+Mixed change_root and pivot_root mechanism
+------------------------------------------
+
+In case you did not want to use ``root=/dev/ram0`` to trigger the pivot_root
+mechanism, you may create both ``/linuxrc`` and ``/sbin/init`` in your initrd
+image.
+
+``/linuxrc`` would contain only the following::
+
+ #! /bin/sh
+ mount -n -t proc proc /proc
+ echo 0x0100 >/proc/sys/kernel/real-root-dev
+ umount -n /proc
+
+Once linuxrc exited, the kernel would mount again your initrd as root,
+this time executing ``/sbin/init``. Again, it would be the duty of this init
+to build the right environment (maybe using the ``root= device`` passed on
+the cmdline) before the final execution of the real ``/sbin/init``.
+
+
+Resources
+---------
+
+.. [#f1] Almesberger, Werner; "Booting Linux: The History and the Future"
+ https://www.almesberger.net/cv/papers/ols2k-9.ps.gz
+.. [#f2] newlib package (experimental), with initrd example
+ https://www.sourceware.org/newlib/
+.. [#f3] util-linux: Miscellaneous utilities for Linux
+ https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/