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-rw-r--r--Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.txt28
1 files changed, 9 insertions, 19 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.txt b/Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.txt
index 4f2aec8d4c12..ecdb18104ab0 100644
--- a/Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/livepatch/livepatch.txt
@@ -316,8 +316,15 @@ section "Livepatch life-cycle" below for more details about these
two operations.
Module removal is only safe when there are no users of the underlying
-functions. The immediate consistency model is not able to detect this;
-therefore livepatch modules cannot be removed. See "Limitations" below.
+functions. The immediate consistency model is not able to detect this. The
+code just redirects the functions at the very beginning and it does not
+check if the functions are in use. In other words, it knows when the
+functions get called but it does not know when the functions return.
+Therefore it cannot be decided when the livepatch module can be safely
+removed. This is solved by a hybrid consistency model. When the system is
+transitioned to a new patch state (patched/unpatched) it is guaranteed that
+no task sleeps or runs in the old code.
+
5. Livepatch life-cycle
=======================
@@ -469,23 +476,6 @@ The current Livepatch implementation has several limitations:
by "notrace".
- + Livepatch modules can not be removed.
-
- The current implementation just redirects the functions at the very
- beginning. It does not check if the functions are in use. In other
- words, it knows when the functions get called but it does not
- know when the functions return. Therefore it can not decide when
- the livepatch module can be safely removed.
-
- This will get most likely solved once a more complex consistency model
- is supported. The idea is that a safe state for patching should also
- mean a safe state for removing the patch.
-
- Note that the patch itself might get disabled by writing zero
- to /sys/kernel/livepatch/<patch>/enabled. It causes that the new
- code will not longer get called. But it does not guarantee
- that anyone is not sleeping anywhere in the new code.
-
+ Livepatch works reliably only when the dynamic ftrace is located at
the very beginning of the function.