v1.17 changes:
tl;dr:
BTF loader:
- Support raw BTF as available in /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux.
pahole:
- When the sole argument passed isn't a file, take it as a class name:
$ pahole sk_buff
- Do not require a class name to operate without a file name.
$ pahole # is equivalent to:
$ pahole vmlinux
- Make --find_pointers_to consider unions:
$ pahole --find_pointers_to ehci_qh
- Make --contains and --find_pointers_to honour --unions
$ pahole --unions --contains inet_sock
- Add support for finding pointers to void:
$ pahole --find_pointers_to void
- Make --contains and --find_pointers_to to work with base types:
$ pahole --find_pointers_to 'short unsigned int'
- Make --contains look for more than just unions, structs:
$ pahole --contains raw_spinlock_t
- Consider unions when looking for classes containing some class:
$ pahole --contains tpacket_req
- Introduce --unions to consider just unions:
$ pahole --unions --sizes
$ pahole --unions --prefix tcp
$ pahole --unions --nr_members
- Fix -m/--nr_methods - Number of functions operating on a type pointer
$ pahole --nr_methods
man-pages:
- Add section about --hex + -E to locate offsets deep into sub structs.
- Add more information about BTF.
- Add some examples.
----------------------------------
I want the details:
btf loader:
- Support raw BTF as available in /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux
Be it automatically when no -F option is passed and
/sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux is available, or when /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux is
passed as the filename to the tool, i.e.:
$ pahole -C list_head
struct list_head {
struct list_head * next; /* 0 8 */
struct list_head * prev; /* 8 8 */
/* size: 16, cachelines: 1, members: 2 */
/* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};
$ strace -e openat pahole -C list_head |& grep /sys/kernel/btf/
openat(AT_FDCWD, "/sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux", O_RDONLY) = 3
$
$ pahole -C list_head /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux
struct list_head {
struct list_head * next; /* 0 8 */
struct list_head * prev; /* 8 8 */
/* size: 16, cachelines: 1, members: 2 */
/* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};
$
If one wants to grab the matching vmlinux to use its DWARF info instead,
which is useful to compare the results with what we have from BTF, for
instance, its just a matter of using '-F dwarf'.
This in turn shows something that at first came as a surprise, but then
has a simple explanation:
For very common data structures, that will probably appear in all of the
DWARF CUs (Compilation Units), like 'struct list_head', using '-F dwarf'
is faster:
$ perf stat -e cycles pahole -F btf -C list_head > /dev/null
Performance counter stats for 'pahole -F btf -C list_head':
45,722,518 cycles:u
0.023717300 seconds time elapsed
0.016474000 seconds user
0.007212000 seconds sys
$ perf stat -e cycles pahole -F dwarf -C list_head > /dev/null
Performance counter stats for 'pahole -F dwarf -C list_head':
14,170,321 cycles:u
0.006668904 seconds time elapsed
0.005562000 seconds user
0.001109000 seconds sys
$
But for something that is more specific to a subsystem, the DWARF loader
will have to process way more stuff till it gets to that struct:
$ perf stat -e cycles pahole -F dwarf -C tcp_sock > /dev/null
Performance counter stats for 'pahole -F dwarf -C tcp_sock':
31,579,795,238 cycles:u
8.332272930 seconds time elapsed
8.032124000 seconds user
0.286537000 seconds sys
$
While using the BTF loader the time should be constant, as it loads
everything from /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux:
$ perf stat -e cycles pahole -F btf -C tcp_sock > /dev/null
Performance counter stats for 'pahole -F btf -C tcp_sock':
48,823,488 cycles:u
0.024102760 seconds time elapsed
0.012035000 seconds user
0.012046000 seconds sys
$
Above I used '-F btf' just to show that it can be used, but its not
really needed, i.e. those are equivalent:
$ strace -e openat pahole -F btf -C list_head |& grep /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux
openat(AT_FDCWD, "/sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux", O_RDONLY) = 3
$ strace -e openat pahole -C list_head |& grep /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux
openat(AT_FDCWD, "/sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux", O_RDONLY) = 3
$
The btf_raw__load() function that ends up being grafted into the
preexisting btf_elf routines was based on libbpf's btf_load_raw().
pahole:
- When the sole argument passed isn't a file, take it as a class name.
With that it becomes as compact as it gets for kernel data structures,
just state the name of the struct and it'll try to find that as a file,
not being a file it'll use /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux and the argument as a
list of structs, i.e.:
$ pahole skb_ext,list_head
struct list_head {
struct list_head * next; /* 0 8 */
struct list_head * prev; /* 8 8 */
/* size: 16, cachelines: 1, members: 2 */
/* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};
struct skb_ext {
refcount_t refcnt; /* 0 4 */
u8 offset[3]; /* 4 3 */
u8 chunks; /* 7 1 */
char data[]; /* 8 0 */
/* size: 8, cachelines: 1, members: 4 */
/* last cacheline: 8 bytes */
};
$ pahole hlist_node
struct hlist_node {
struct hlist_node * next; /* 0 8 */
struct hlist_node * * pprev; /* 8 8 */
/* size: 16, cachelines: 1, members: 2 */
/* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};
$
Of course -C continues to work:
$ pahole -C inode | tail
__u32 i_fsnotify_mask; /* 556 4 */
struct fsnotify_mark_connector * i_fsnotify_marks; /* 560 8 */
struct fscrypt_info * i_crypt_info; /* 568 8 */
/* --- cacheline 9 boundary (576 bytes) --- */
struct fsverity_info * i_verity_info; /* 576 8 */
void * i_private; /* 584 8 */
/* size: 592, cachelines: 10, members: 53 */
/* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};
$
- Add support for finding pointers to void, e.g.:
$ pahole --find_pointers_to void --prefix tcp
tcp_md5sig_pool: scratch
$ pahole tcp_md5sig_pool
struct tcp_md5sig_pool {
struct ahash_request * md5_req; /* 0 8 */
void * scratch; /* 8 8 */
/* size: 16, cachelines: 1, members: 2 */
/* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};
$
- Make --contains and --find_pointers_to to work with base types
I.e. with plain 'int', 'long', 'short int', etc:
$ pahole --find_pointers_to 'short unsigned int'
uv_hub_info_s: socket_to_node
uv_hub_info_s: socket_to_pnode
uv_hub_info_s: pnode_to_socket
vc_data: vc_screenbuf
vc_data: vc_translate
filter_pred: ops
ext4_sb_info: s_mb_offsets
$ pahole ext4_sb_info | 'sort unsigned int'
bash: sort unsigned int: command not found...
^[^C
$
$ pahole ext4_sb_info | grep 'sort unsigned int'
$ pahole ext4_sb_info | grep 'short unsigned int'
short unsigned int s_mount_state; /* 160 2 */
short unsigned int s_pad; /* 162 2 */
short unsigned int * s_mb_offsets; /* 664 8 */
$ pahole --contains 'short unsigned int'
apm_info
desc_ptr
thread_struct
mpc_table
mpc_intsrc
fsnotify_mark_connector
<SNIP>
sock_fprog
blk_mq_hw_ctx
skb_shared_info
$
- Make --contains look for more than just unions, structs, look for
typedefs, enums and types that descend from 'struct type':
So now we can do more interesting queries, lets see, what are the data
structures that embed a raw spinlock in the linux kernel?
$ pahole --contains raw_spinlock_t
task_struct
rw_semaphore
hrtimer_cpu_base
prev_cputime
percpu_counter
ratelimit_state
perf_event_context
task_delay_info
<SNIP>
lpm_trie
bpf_queue_stack
$
Look at the csets comments to see more examples.
- Make --contains and --find_pointers_to honour --unions
I.e. when looking for unions or structs that contains/embeds or looking
for unions/structs that have pointers to a given type.
E.g:
$ pahole --contains inet_sock
sctp_sock
inet_connection_sock
raw_sock
udp_sock
raw6_sock
$ pahole --unions --contains inet_sock
$
We have structs embedding 'struct inet_sock', but no unions doing that.
- Make --find_pointers_to consider unions
I.e.:
$ pahole --find_pointers_to ehci_qh
ehci_hcd: qh_scan_next
ehci_hcd: async
ehci_hcd: dummy
$
Wasn't considering:
$ pahole -C ehci_shadow
union ehci_shadow {
struct ehci_qh * qh; /* 0 8 */
struct ehci_itd * itd; /* 0 8 */
struct ehci_sitd * sitd; /* 0 8 */
struct ehci_fstn * fstn; /* 0 8 */
__le32 * hw_next; /* 0 8 */
void * ptr; /* 0 8 */
};
$
Fix it:
$ pahole --find_pointers_to ehci_qh
ehci_hcd: qh_scan_next
ehci_hcd: async
ehci_hcd: dummy
ehci_shadow: qh
$
- Consider unions when looking for classes containing some class:
I.e.:
$ pahole --contains tpacket_req
tpacket_req_u
$
Wasn't working, but should be considered with --contains/-i:
$ pahole -C tpacket_req_u
union tpacket_req_u {
struct tpacket_req req; /* 0 16 */
struct tpacket_req3 req3; /* 0 28 */
};
$
- Introduce --unions to consider just unions
Most filters can be used together with it, for instance to see the
biggest unions in the kernel:
$ pahole --unions --sizes | sort -k2 -nr | head
thread_union 16384 0
swap_header 4096 0
fpregs_state 4096 0
autofs_v5_packet_union 304 0
autofs_packet_union 272 0
pptp_ctrl_union 208 0
acpi_parse_object 200 0
acpi_descriptor 200 0
bpf_attr 120 0
phy_configure_opts 112 0
$
Or just some unions that have some specific prefix:
$ pahole --unions --prefix tcp
union tcp_md5_addr {
struct in_addr a4; /* 0 4 */
struct in6_addr a6; /* 0 16 */
};
union tcp_word_hdr {
struct tcphdr hdr; /* 0 20 */
__be32 words[5]; /* 0 20 */
};
union tcp_cc_info {
struct tcpvegas_info vegas; /* 0 16 */
struct tcp_dctcp_info dctcp; /* 0 16 */
struct tcp_bbr_info bbr; /* 0 20 */
};
$
What are the biggest unions in terms of number of members?
$ pahole --unions --nr_members | sort -k2 -nr | head
security_list_options 218
aml_resource 36
acpi_resource_data 29
acpi_operand_object 26
iwreq_data 18
sctp_params 15
ib_flow_spec 14
ethtool_flow_union 14
pptp_ctrl_union 13
bpf_attr 12
$
If you want to script most of the queries can change the separator:
$ pahole --unions --nr_members -t, | sort -t, -k2 -nr | head
security_list_options,218
aml_resource,36
acpi_resource_data,29
acpi_operand_object,26
iwreq_data,18
sctp_params,15
ib_flow_spec,14
ethtool_flow_union,14
pptp_ctrl_union,13
bpf_attr,12
$
- Fix -m/--nr_methods - Number of functions operating on a type pointer
We had to use the same hack as in pfunct, as implemented in ccf3eebfcd9c
("btf_loader: Add support for BTF_KIND_FUNC"), will hide that 'struct
ftype' (aka function prototype) indirection behind the parameter
iterator (function__for_each_parameter).
For now, here is the top 10 Linux kernel data structures in terms of
number of functions receiving as one of its parameters a pointer to it,
using /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux to look at all the vmlinux types and
functions (the ones visible in kallsyms, but with the parameters and its
types):
$ pahole -m | sort -k2 -nr | head
device 955
sock 568
sk_buff 541
task_struct 437
inode 421
pci_dev 390
page 351
net_device 347
file 315
net 312
$
$ pahole --help |& grep -- -m
-m, --nr_methods show number of methods
$
- Do not require a class name to operate without a file name
Since we default to operating on the running kernel data structures, we
should make the default to, with no options passed, to pretty print all
the running kernel data structures, or do what was asked in terms of
number of members, size of structs, etc, i.e.:
# pahole --help |& head
Usage: pahole [OPTION...] FILE
-a, --anon_include include anonymous classes
-A, --nested_anon_include include nested (inside other structs) anonymous
classes
-B, --bit_holes=NR_HOLES Show only structs at least NR_HOLES bit holes
-c, --cacheline_size=SIZE set cacheline size to SIZE
--classes_as_structs Use 'struct' when printing classes
-C, --class_name=CLASS_NAME Show just this class
-d, --recursive recursive mode, affects several other flags
#
Continues working as before, but if you do:
pahole
It will work just as if you did:
pahole vmlinux
and that vmlinux file is the running kernel vmlinux.
And since the default now is to read BTF info, then it will do all its
operations on /sys/kernel/btf/vmlinux, when present, i.e. want to know
what are the fattest data structures in the running kernel:
# pahole -s | sort -k2 -nr | head
cmp_data 290904 1
dec_data 274520 1
cpu_entry_area 217088 0
pglist_data 172928 4
saved_cmdlines_buffer 131104 1
debug_store_buffers 131072 0
hid_parser 110848 1
hid_local 110608 0
zonelist 81936 0
e820_table 64004 0
#
How many data structures in the running kernel vmlinux area embbed
'struct list_head'?
# pahole -i list_head | wc -l
260
#
Lets see some of those?
# pahole -C fsnotify_event
struct fsnotify_event {
struct list_head list; /* 0 16 */
struct inode * inode; /* 16 8 */
/* size: 24, cachelines: 1, members: 2 */
/* last cacheline: 24 bytes */
};
# pahole -C audit_chunk
struct audit_chunk {
struct list_head hash; /* 0 16 */
long unsigned int key; /* 16 8 */
struct fsnotify_mark * mark; /* 24 8 */
struct list_head trees; /* 32 16 */
int count; /* 48 4 */
/* XXX 4 bytes hole, try to pack */
atomic_long_t refs; /* 56 8 */
/* --- cacheline 1 boundary (64 bytes) --- */
struct callback_head head; /* 64 16 */
struct node owners[]; /* 80 0 */
/* size: 80, cachelines: 2, members: 8 */
/* sum members: 76, holes: 1, sum holes: 4 */
/* last cacheline: 16 bytes */
};
#