Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]


Groups > linux.kernel > #1643472

Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb

From William Roberts <bill.c.roberts@gmail.com>
Newsgroups linux.kernel
Subject Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb
Date 2017-05-17 17:40 +0200
Message-ID <tI9dn-4QL-11@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References <tHHqO-3Wv-17@gated-at.bofh.it> <tHRqa-1So-15@gated-at.bofh.it> <tI8Km-4GH-7@gated-at.bofh.it> <tI8Km-4GH-19@gated-at.bofh.it> <tI93I-4Nh-13@gated-at.bofh.it>
Organization linux.* mail to news gateway

Show all headers | View raw


On Wed, May 17, 2017 at 8:24 AM, Sebastien Buisson
<sbuisson.ddn@gmail.com> wrote:
> 2017-05-17 17:09 GMT+02:00 William Roberts <bill.c.roberts@gmail.com>:
>> On Wed, May 17, 2017 at 7:59 AM, Sebastien Buisson
>> <sbuisson.ddn@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 2017-05-16 22:40 GMT+02:00 Stephen Smalley <sds@tycho.nsa.gov>:
>>>>> +     strcpy(*brief, policydb.policybrief);
>>>>> +     /* *len is the length of the output string */
>>>>> +     *len = policybrief_len - 1;
>>>>
>>>> Is there a particular reason to not just return policybrief_len here as
>>>> well, for consistency in the interface?  How do you intend to use this
>>>> value in the caller?
>>>
>>> As called in the other patch to expose policy brief via selinuxfs
>>> (sel_read_policybrief), the intent is to provide the caller with the
>>> length of the string returned.
>>> Or should I set *len to policy brief_len here, and just make the
>>> caller aware that the returned length is in fact the length of the
>>> buffer (i.e. including terminating NUL byte)?
>>
>> What is the caller supposed to do with length? This interface seemed kind of
>> odd. If it's guaranteed NUL byte terminated, do they even need length?
>
> The length is useful as an input parameter in case the caller provides
> its own buffer (instead of letting the function allocate one), and as

This is what I don't get, why doesn't the function just always allocate?

> an output parameter in case the buffer given in input is not large
> enough.

This interface seems "Windowsy" (inout parameters)... Iv'e been looking at
it on and off for a few days and it just seems odd. Not odd enough for me
to give it more negative review comments.

> In any case, it can spare the caller the effort of recomputing the
> length. As an example, sel_read_policybrief() in the 2/2 patch needs
> to know the length of the string to put in the user buffer.

Oh yeah, IIRC offhand, you're adding each LSMs brief info and using strcpy
+ length instead of strcat avoiding the null iteration?

Back to linux.kernel | Previous | NextPrevious in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread


Thread

[PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb Sebastien Buisson <sbuisson.ddn@gmail.com> - 2017-05-16 12:00 +0200
  Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb Stephen Smalley <sds@tycho.nsa.gov> - 2017-05-16 22:40 +0200
    Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb Sebastien Buisson <sbuisson.ddn@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 17:10 +0200
      Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb William Roberts <bill.c.roberts@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 17:10 +0200
        Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb Sebastien Buisson <sbuisson.ddn@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 17:30 +0200
          Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb William Roberts <bill.c.roberts@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 17:40 +0200
            Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb Sebastien Buisson <sbuisson.ddn@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 17:50 +0200
              Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb William Roberts <bill.c.roberts@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 18:10 +0200
                Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb William Roberts <bill.c.roberts@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 18:30 +0200
                Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb Sebastien Buisson <sbuisson.ddn@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 19:10 +0200
                Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb William Roberts <bill.c.roberts@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 20:30 +0200
      Re: [PATCH v5 1/2] selinux: add brief info to policydb Stephen Smalley <sds@tycho.nsa.gov> - 2017-05-17 17:40 +0200

csiph-web