The ``uffdio_api.features`` bitmask returned by the ``UFFDIO_API`` ioctl
defines what memory types are supported by the ``userfaultfd`` and what
-events, except page fault notifications, may be generated.
-
-If the kernel supports registering ``userfaultfd`` ranges on hugetlbfs
-virtual memory areas, ``UFFD_FEATURE_MISSING_HUGETLBFS`` will be set in
-``uffdio_api.features``. Similarly, ``UFFD_FEATURE_MISSING_SHMEM`` will be
-set if the kernel supports registering ``userfaultfd`` ranges on shared
-memory (covering all shmem APIs, i.e. tmpfs, ``IPCSHM``, ``/dev/zero``,
-``MAP_SHARED``, ``memfd_create``, etc).
-
-The userland application that wants to use ``userfaultfd`` with hugetlbfs
-or shared memory need to set the corresponding flag in
-``uffdio_api.features`` to enable those features.
-
-If the userland desires to receive notifications for events other than
-page faults, it has to verify that ``uffdio_api.features`` has appropriate
-``UFFD_FEATURE_EVENT_*`` bits set. These events are described in more
-detail below in `Non-cooperative userfaultfd`_ section.
-
-Once the ``userfaultfd`` has been enabled the ``UFFDIO_REGISTER`` ioctl should
-be invoked (if present in the returned ``uffdio_api.ioctls`` bitmask) to
-register a memory range in the ``userfaultfd`` by setting the
+events, except page fault notifications, may be generated:
+
+- The ``UFFD_FEATURE_EVENT_*`` flags indicate that various other events
+ other than page faults are supported. These events are described in more
+ detail below in the `Non-cooperative userfaultfd`_ section.
+
+- ``UFFD_FEATURE_MISSING_HUGETLBFS`` and ``UFFD_FEATURE_MISSING_SHMEM``
+ indicate that the kernel supports ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING``
+ registrations for hugetlbfs and shared memory (covering all shmem APIs,
+ i.e. tmpfs, ``IPCSHM``, ``/dev/zero``, ``MAP_SHARED``, ``memfd_create``,
+ etc) virtual memory areas, respectively.
+
+- ``UFFD_FEATURE_MINOR_HUGETLBFS`` indicates that the kernel supports
+ ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MINOR`` registration for hugetlbfs virtual memory
+ areas.
+
+The userland application should set the feature flags it intends to use
+when invoking the ``UFFDIO_API`` ioctl, to request that those features be
+enabled if supported.
+
+Once the ``userfaultfd`` API has been enabled the ``UFFDIO_REGISTER``
+ioctl should be invoked (if present in the returned ``uffdio_api.ioctls``
+bitmask) to register a memory range in the ``userfaultfd`` by setting the
uffdio_register structure accordingly. The ``uffdio_register.mode``
bitmask will specify to the kernel which kind of faults to track for
-the range (``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` would track missing
-pages). The ``UFFDIO_REGISTER`` ioctl will return the
+the range. The ``UFFDIO_REGISTER`` ioctl will return the
``uffdio_register.ioctls`` bitmask of ioctls that are suitable to resolve
userfaults on the range registered. Not all ioctls will necessarily be
-supported for all memory types depending on the underlying virtual
-memory backend (anonymous memory vs tmpfs vs real filebacked
-mappings).
+supported for all memory types (e.g. anonymous memory vs. shmem vs.
+hugetlbfs), or all types of intercepted faults.
Userland can use the ``uffdio_register.ioctls`` to manage the virtual
address space in the background (to add or potentially also remove
could be triggering just before userland maps in the background the
user-faulted page.
-The primary ioctl to resolve userfaults is ``UFFDIO_COPY``. That
-atomically copies a page into the userfault registered range and wakes
-up the blocked userfaults
-(unless ``uffdio_copy.mode & UFFDIO_COPY_MODE_DONTWAKE`` is set).
-Other ioctl works similarly to ``UFFDIO_COPY``. They're atomic as in
-guaranteeing that nothing can see an half copied page since it'll
-keep userfaulting until the copy has finished.
+Resolving Userfaults
+--------------------
+
+There are three basic ways to resolve userfaults:
+
+- ``UFFDIO_COPY`` atomically copies some existing page contents from
+ userspace.
+
+- ``UFFDIO_ZEROPAGE`` atomically zeros the new page.
+
+- ``UFFDIO_CONTINUE`` maps an existing, previously-populated page.
+
+These operations are atomic in the sense that they guarantee nothing can
+see a half-populated page, since readers will keep userfaulting until the
+operation has finished.
+
+By default, these wake up userfaults blocked on the range in question.
+They support a ``UFFDIO_*_MODE_DONTWAKE`` ``mode`` flag, which indicates
+that waking will be done separately at some later time.
+
+Which ioctl to choose depends on the kind of page fault, and what we'd
+like to do to resolve it:
+
+- For ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` faults, the fault needs to be
+ resolved by either providing a new page (``UFFDIO_COPY``), or mapping
+ the zero page (``UFFDIO_ZEROPAGE``). By default, the kernel would map
+ the zero page for a missing fault. With userfaultfd, userspace can
+ decide what content to provide before the faulting thread continues.
+
+- For ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MINOR`` faults, there is an existing page (in
+ the page cache). Userspace has the option of modifying the page's
+ contents before resolving the fault. Once the contents are correct
+ (modified or not), userspace asks the kernel to map the page and let the
+ faulting thread continue with ``UFFDIO_CONTINUE``.
Notes:
-- If you requested ``UFFDIO_REGISTER_MODE_MISSING`` when registering then
- you must provide some kind of page in your thread after reading from
- the uffd. You must provide either ``UFFDIO_COPY`` or ``UFFDIO_ZEROPAGE``.
- The normal behavior of the OS automatically providing a zero page on
- an anonymous mmaping is not in place.
+- You can tell which kind of fault occurred by examining
+ ``pagefault.flags`` within the ``uffd_msg``, checking for the
+ ``UFFD_PAGEFAULT_FLAG_*`` flags.
- None of the page-delivering ioctls default to the range that you
registered with. You must fill in all fields for the appropriate
- You get the address of the access that triggered the missing page
event out of a struct uffd_msg that you read in the thread from the
- uffd. You can supply as many pages as you want with ``UFFDIO_COPY`` or
- ``UFFDIO_ZEROPAGE``. Keep in mind that unless you used DONTWAKE then
- the first of any of those IOCTLs wakes up the faulting thread.
+ uffd. You can supply as many pages as you want with these IOCTLs.
+ Keep in mind that unless you used DONTWAKE then the first of any of
+ those IOCTLs wakes up the faulting thread.
- Be sure to test for all errors including
(``pollfd[0].revents & POLLERR``). This can happen, e.g. when ranges
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