Some unit tests intentionally trigger warning backtraces by passing bad parameters to kernel API functions. Such unit tests typically check the return value from such calls, not the existence of the warning backtrace.
Such intentionally generated warning backtraces are neither desirable nor useful for a number of reasons. - They can result in overlooked real problems. - A warning that suddenly starts to show up in unit tests needs to be investigated and has to be marked to be ignored, for example by adjusting filter scripts. Such filters are ad-hoc because there is no real standard format for warnings. On top of that, such filter scripts would require constant maintenance.
One option to address problem would be to add messages such as "expected warning backtraces start / end here" to the kernel log. However, that would again require filter scripts, it might result in missing real problematic warning backtraces triggered while the test is running, and the irrelevant backtrace(s) would still clog the kernel log.
Solve the problem by providing a means to identify and suppress specific warning backtraces while executing test code. Support suppressing multiple backtraces while at the same time limiting changes to generic code to the absolute minimum. Architecture specific changes are kept at minimum by retaining function names only if both CONFIG_DEBUG_BUGVERBOSE and CONFIG_KUNIT are enabled.
The first patch of the series introduces the necessary infrastructure. The second patch introduces support for counting suppressed backtraces. This capability is used in patch three to implement unit tests. Patch four documents the new API. The next two patches add support for suppressing backtraces in drm_rect and dev_addr_lists unit tests. These patches are intended to serve as examples for the use of the functionality introduced with this series. The remaining patches implement the necessary changes for all architectures with GENERIC_BUG support.
With CONFIG_KUNIT enabled, image size increase with this series applied is approximately 1%. The image size increase (and with it the functionality introduced by this series) can be avoided by disabling CONFIG_KUNIT_SUPPRESS_BACKTRACE.
This series is based on the RFC patch and subsequent discussion at https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-kselftest/patch/02546e59-1afe-4b0... and offers a more comprehensive solution of the problem discussed there.
Design note: Function pointers are only added to the __bug_table section if both CONFIG_KUNIT_SUPPRESS_BACKTRACE and CONFIG_DEBUG_BUGVERBOSE are enabled to avoid image size increases if CONFIG_KUNIT is disabled. There would be some benefits to adding those pointers all the time (reduced complexity, ability to display function names in BUG/WARNING messages). That change, if desired, can be made later.
Checkpatch note: Remaining checkpatch errors and warnings were deliberately ignored. Some are triggered by matching coding style or by comments interpreted as code, others by assembler macros which are disliked by checkpatch. Suggestions for improvements are welcome.
Changes since RFC: - Introduced CONFIG_KUNIT_SUPPRESS_BACKTRACE - Minor cleanups and bug fixes - Added support for all affected architectures - Added support for counting suppressed warnings - Added unit tests using those counters - Added patch to suppress warning backtraces in dev_addr_lists tests
Changes since v1: - Rebased to v6.9-rc1 - Added Tested-by:, Acked-by:, and Reviewed-by: tags [I retained those tags since there have been no functional changes] - Introduced KUNIT_SUPPRESS_BACKTRACE configuration option, enabled by default.