[PATCH 0/4] RFC: split text and linear mappings using tagged pointers

Ard Biesheuvel ard.biesheuvel at linaro.org
Mon Mar 23 08:36:52 PDT 2015


This implements a split mapping of the kernel Image using the AArch64
tagged pointers feature. The kernel text is emitted with bit 56 cleared,
which can be used by the virt to phys translation to choose one translation
regime or another.

The purpose is to allow PHYS_OFFSET to start at an arbitrary offset below
the kernel image, so that memory below the kernel Image can be used, allowing
the Image to be loaded anywhere in physical memory.

This series moves the kernel text right below PAGE_OFFSET, next to the modules
area. PHYS_OFFSET is chosen to be a suitable aligned boundary somewhere below
the kernel Image (1 GB or 512 MB depending on chosen page size).

Output from a QEMU/EFI boot:

System RAM:
 memory[0x0]	[0x00000040000000-0x000000bfffffff], 0x80000000 bytes flags: 0x0

Kernel image:
 reserved[0x0]	[0x0000005f680000-0x0000005fe68fff], 0x7e9000 bytes flags: 0x0

Virtual kernel memory layout:
    vmalloc : 0xffffff8000000000 - 0xffffffbdbfff0000   (   246 GB)
    vmemmap : 0xffffffbdc0000000 - 0xffffffbfc0000000   (     8 GB maximum)
              0xffffffbdc1000000 - 0xffffffbdc3000000   (    32 MB actual)
    fixed   : 0xffffffbff69fd000 - 0xffffffbff6c00000   (  2060 KB)
    PCI I/O : 0xffffffbff6e00000 - 0xffffffbff7e00000   (    16 MB)
    modules : 0xffffffbff8000000 - 0xffffffbffc000000   (    64 MB)
    memory  : 0xffffffc000000000 - 0xffffffc080000000   (  2048 MB)
      .init : 0xfeffffbffc783000 - 0xfeffffbffc7c6000   (   268 KB)
      .text : 0xfeffffbffc080000 - 0xfeffffbffc782344   (  7177 KB)
      .data : 0xfeffffbffc7ca000 - 0xfeffffbffc830c00   (   411 KB)

Note that this time, no relocations were harmed in the making of these
patches. With added relocation support, it should be possible to move
the combined modules and kernel text anywhere in the vmalloc area (for
kaslr)

There are probably some places where the cleared bit 56 in the virtual
address may cause trouble. Known problem is the module loader, but there
are surely others.


Ard Biesheuvel (4):
  arm64: use tagged pointers to distinguish kernel text from the linear
    mapping
  arm64: fixmap: move translation tables to dedicated region
  arm64: move kernel text below PAGE_OFFSET
  arm64: align PHYS_OFFSET to block size

 arch/arm64/include/asm/linkage.h       |  2 ++
 arch/arm64/include/asm/memory.h        | 27 +++++++++++++++++--
 arch/arm64/include/asm/pgtable-hwdef.h |  1 +
 arch/arm64/kernel/head.S               | 48 +++++++++++++++++++++++++---------
 arch/arm64/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S        | 19 +++++++++-----
 arch/arm64/mm/mmu.c                    | 21 +++++++++------
 arch/arm64/mm/proc.S                   |  3 ++-
 7 files changed, 91 insertions(+), 30 deletions(-)

-- 
1.8.3.2




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