read/write to virtual address

[Adam Lackorzynski]

Hi,

On Wed Feb 15, 2017 at 09:55:19 +0100, Daniel Krefft wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> we came across two functions (read/write) that are defined in the l4
> base API documentation:
> 
> https://os.inf.tu-dresden.de/L4Re/doc/group__l4__mem__op__api.html
> 
> 1) What does the description "functionality to access user task memory
> from the kernel" mean? This could be interpreted as accessing user-space
> memory from within the kernel?!

As the description says through this functions is it possible to
read/write from/to device memory in the case the device only allows
access from privileged processor more. There are some of those devices
out there where even the switch to allow access from user-mode is
broken. I guess nobody ever noticed. Those functions are only required
for those specific devices where it's necessary, i.e. not in any normal
operation. But yes, they fall under the category you describe.

> 2) Are there any equivalent memory read/write functions inside the l4re
> that also take a virtual address as a parameter?

Yes, there are, for example, utility functions for accessing device
memory. However I'm not sure you're looking for something like this as
this is all within the same address space and any code in there can
read/write anywhere in that address space (given paging permits).
There's no functionality to read/write memory in other address spaces
directly.


Adam

> To clarify, all intended operations (read/write) should not modify
> user-space memory from inside the kernel or vice versa. User-space
> defined read/write functions should operate in user-space exclusively.
> 
> Best
> Daniel
> 
> On 14.02.2017 23:29, Adam Lackorzynski wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > On Tue Feb 14, 2017 at 10:38:26 +0100, Daniel Krefft wrote:
> >> while working on a checkpoint/restore mechanism for fiasco.oc, we want
> >> to trace read and write (kernel) calls to (virtual) memory.
> >>
> >> 1) Where are these calls defined? We're just able to find ARM specific
> >> calls inside the kernel, which allow writing and reading to/from a
> >> virtual address
> >>
> >> 2) Are these calls (if existent) platform agnostic (user-space)? Is
> >> there any kind of interface?
> > 
> > I do not quite get the question. The kernel (Fiasco) is running in
> > virtual memory, also when running in the kernel, i.e. any load/store
> > operation that is in the code is through virtual memory.
> > Do you want to trace any read/write issued by the kernel to user-level
> > memory? I'm afraid, the kernel does not do that, i.e. it never touches
> > user-level memory (except the specially treated UTCB memory).
> > Could you please describe your question more verbosely?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Adam
> > 
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> > 
> 
> -- 
> Daniel Krefft MSc.
> Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter
> 
> Technische Universitaet Muenchen
> Fakultaet fuer Informatik
> Lehrstuhl fuer Betriebssysteme
> 
> Arcisstrasse 21
> 80333 Muenchen
> 
> Tel. +49 89 289 18791
> 
> daniel.krefft at tum.de
> www.os.in.tum.de/personen/krefft
> 
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Adam
-- 
Adam                 adam at os.inf.tu-dresden.de
  Lackorzynski         http://os.inf.tu-dresden.de/~adam/