Re: [PATCH RFCv2 02/15] xen/arm: lpae: Use the generic helpers to defined the Xen PT helpers

[Stefano Stabellini <sstabellini@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 12 May 2021, Julien Grall wrote:
> Hi Stefano,
> 
> On 12/05/2021 22:30, Stefano Stabellini wrote:
> > On Wed, 12 May 2021, Julien Grall wrote:
> > > > > +#define LPAE_SHIFT          LPAE_SHIFT_GS(PAGE_SHIFT)
> > > > > +#define LPAE_ENTRIES        LPAE_ENTRIES_GS(PAGE_SHIFT)
> > > > > +#define LPAE_ENTRY_MASK     LPAE_ENTRY_MASK_GS(PAGE_SHIFT)
> > > > > 
> > > > > +#define LEVEL_SHIFT(lvl)    LEVEL_SHIFT_GS(PAGE_SHIFT, lvl)
> > > > > +#define LEVEL_ORDER(lvl)    LEVEL_ORDER_GS(PAGE_SHIFT, lvl)
> > > > > +#define LEVEL_SIZE(lvl)     LEVEL_SIZE_GS(PAGE_SHIFT, lvl)
> > > > > +#define LEVEL_MASK(lvl)     (~(LEVEL_SIZE(lvl) - 1))
> > > > 
> > > > I would avoid adding these 4 macros. It would be OK if they were just
> > > > used within this file but lpae.h is a header: they could end up be used
> > > > anywhere in the xen/ code and they have a very generic name. My
> > > > suggestion would be to skip them and just do:
> > > 
> > > Those macros will be used in follow-up patches. They are pretty useful to
> > > avoid introduce static array with the different information for each
> > > level.
> > > 
> > > Would prefix them with XEN_ be better?
> > 
> > Maybe. The concern I have is that there are multiple page granularities
> > (4kb, 16kb, etc) and multiple page sizes (4kb, 2mb, etc). If I just see
> > LEVEL_ORDER it is not immediately obvious what granularity and what size
> > we are talking about.
> 
> I am a bit puzzled with your answer. AFAIU, you are happy with the existing
> macros (THIRD_*, SECOND_*) but not with the new macros.
>
> In reality, there is no difference because THIRD_* doesn't tell you the exact
> size but only "this is a level 3 mapping".
> 
> So can you clarify what you are after? IOW is it reworking the current naming
> scheme?

You are right -- there is no real difference between THIRD_*, SECOND_*
and LEVEL_*.

The original reason for my comments is that I hadn't read the following
patches, and the definition of LEVEL_* macros is simple, they could be
open coded. It looked like they were only going to be used to make the
definition of THIRD_*, SECOND_* a bit easier. So, at first, I was
wondering if they were needed at all.

Secondly, I realized that they were going to be used in *.c files by
other patches. That's why they are there. But I started thinking whether
we should find a way to make it a bit clearer that they are for Xen
pages, currently at 4KB granularity. THIRD_*, SECOND_*, etc. are already
generic names which don't convey the granularity or whether they are Xen
pages at all. But LEVEL_* seem even more generic.

As I mentioned, I don't have any good suggestions for changes to make
here, so unless you can come up with a good idea let's keep it as is.