Re: [PATCH v8] oom_kill.c: futex: Don't OOM reap the VMA containing the robust_list_head

[Joel Savitz <jsavitz@redhat.com>]

> ---
> #include <errno.h>
> #include <fcntl.h>
> #include <pthread.h>
> #include <time.h>
> #include <stdio.h>
> #include <string.h>
> #include <unistd.h>
>
> #include <sys/types.h>
> #include <sys/mman.h>
>
> static char n[4096];
>
> int main(void)
> {
>         pthread_mutexattr_t mat_s, mat_p;
>         pthread_mutex_t *mut_s, *mut_p;
>         pthread_barrierattr_t ba;
>         pthread_barrier_t *b;
>         struct timespec to;
>         void *pri, *shr;
>         int r;
>
>         shr = mmap(NULL, sizeof(n), PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
>                    MAP_SHARED | MAP_ANONYMOUS, -1, 0);
>
>         pthread_mutexattr_init(&mat_s);
>         pthread_mutexattr_setrobust(&mat_s, PTHREAD_MUTEX_ROBUST);
>         mut_s = shr;
>         pthread_mutex_init(mut_s, &mat_s);
>
>         pthread_barrierattr_init(&ba);
>         pthread_barrierattr_setpshared(&ba, PTHREAD_PROCESS_SHARED);
>         b = shr + 1024;
>         pthread_barrier_init(b, &ba, 2);
>
>         if (!fork()) {
>                 pri = mmap(NULL, 1<<20, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
>                            MAP_PRIVATE | MAP_ANONYMOUS, -1, 0);
>                 pthread_mutexattr_init(&mat_p);
>                 pthread_mutexattr_setpshared(&mat_p, PTHREAD_PROCESS_PRIVATE);
>                 pthread_mutexattr_setrobust(&mat_p, PTHREAD_MUTEX_ROBUST);
One thing I don't understand is what kind of sane use case relies on
robust futex for a process-private lock?
Is there a purpose to a lock being on the robust list if there are no
other processes that must be woken in case the holder process is
killed?
If this usage serves no purpose besides causing races during oom, we
should discourage this use, perhaps by adding a note on the manpage.

>                 mut_p = pri;
>                 pthread_mutex_init(mut_p, &mat_p);
>
>                 // With lock order s, p parent gets timeout
>                 // With lock order p, s parent gets owner died
>                 pthread_mutex_lock(mut_s);
>                 pthread_mutex_lock(mut_p);
>                 // Remove unmap and lock order does not matter
>                 munmap(pri, sizeof(n));
>                 pthread_barrier_wait(b);
>                 printf("child gone\n");
>         } else {
>                 pthread_barrier_wait(b);
>                 printf("parent lock\n");
>                 clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &to);
>                 to.tv_sec += 1;
>                 r = pthread_mutex_timedlock(mut_s, &to);
>                 printf("parent lock returned: %s\n", strerror(r));
>         }
>         return 0;
> }
>