[PATCH] rust: print: add safety comments for %pA formatting

Muchamad Coirul Anwar posted 1 patch 2 days, 7 hours ago
rust/kernel/print.rs | 10 ++++++++--
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
[PATCH] rust: print: add safety comments for %pA formatting
Posted by Muchamad Coirul Anwar 2 days, 7 hours ago
The safety comments in `rust_fmt_argument` and `call_printk` were
previously marked as TODO.

This patch adds the missing safety documentation explaining why
dereferencing the pointers and calling the C `_printk` function
is safe in these contexts. It clarifies the contract between
`lib/vsprintf.c` and the Rust implementation regarding the `%pA`
format specifier.

Signed-off-by: Muchamad Coirul Anwar <muchamadcoirulanwar@gmail.com>
---
 rust/kernel/print.rs | 10 ++++++++--
 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/rust/kernel/print.rs b/rust/kernel/print.rs
index 6fd84389a858..3e6ff8f42d95 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/print.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/print.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,11 @@
     use fmt::Write;
     // SAFETY: The C contract guarantees that `buf` is valid if it's less than `end`.
     let mut w = unsafe { RawFormatter::from_ptrs(buf.cast(), end.cast()) };
-    // SAFETY: TODO.
+    // SAFETY: The C implementation of `vsprintf` (in `lib/vsprintf.c`) specifically
+    // calls this function ONLY when processing the `%pA` format specifier.
+    // On the Rust side (`call_printk`), we guarantee that `%pA` is always paired
+    // with a valid pointer to `fmt::Arguments`.
+    // Therefore, dereferencing `ptr` here is safe.
     let _ = w.write_fmt(unsafe { *ptr.cast::<fmt::Arguments<'_>>() });
     w.pos().cast()
 }
@@ -109,7 +113,9 @@ pub unsafe fn call_printk(
 ) {
     // `_printk` does not seem to fail in any path.
     #[cfg(CONFIG_PRINTK)]
-    // SAFETY: TODO.
+    // SAFETY: The format string is constructed to use `%pA`, which corresponds to the
+    // pointer to `fmt::Arguments` passed as the third argument.
+    // Since `args` is a valid reference, casting it to a pointer is safe.
     unsafe {
         bindings::_printk(
             format_string.as_ptr(),
-- 
2.50.0
Re: [PATCH] rust: print: add safety comments for %pA formatting
Posted by Alice Ryhl 2 days, 3 hours ago
On Thu, Feb 05, 2026 at 11:21:32AM +0700, Muchamad Coirul Anwar wrote:
> The safety comments in `rust_fmt_argument` and `call_printk` were
> previously marked as TODO.
> 
> This patch adds the missing safety documentation explaining why
> dereferencing the pointers and calling the C `_printk` function
> is safe in these contexts. It clarifies the contract between
> `lib/vsprintf.c` and the Rust implementation regarding the `%pA`
> format specifier.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Muchamad Coirul Anwar <muchamadcoirulanwar@gmail.com>
> ---
>  rust/kernel/print.rs | 10 ++++++++--
>  1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/rust/kernel/print.rs b/rust/kernel/print.rs
> index 6fd84389a858..3e6ff8f42d95 100644
> --- a/rust/kernel/print.rs
> +++ b/rust/kernel/print.rs
> @@ -29,7 +29,11 @@
>      use fmt::Write;
>      // SAFETY: The C contract guarantees that `buf` is valid if it's less than `end`.
>      let mut w = unsafe { RawFormatter::from_ptrs(buf.cast(), end.cast()) };
> -    // SAFETY: TODO.
> +    // SAFETY: The C implementation of `vsprintf` (in `lib/vsprintf.c`) specifically
> +    // calls this function ONLY when processing the `%pA` format specifier.
> +    // On the Rust side (`call_printk`), we guarantee that `%pA` is always paired
> +    // with a valid pointer to `fmt::Arguments`.
> +    // Therefore, dereferencing `ptr` here is safe.

There are multiple places that %pA is passed. For example, there is also
seq_file.rs and probably more.

Perhaps remove the reference to call_printk here?

// SAFETY: The C implementation of `vsprintf` (in `lib/vsprintf.c`) specifically
// calls this function ONLY when processing the `%pA` format specifier.
// On the Rust side, we always pair `%pA` with a valid pointer to
// `fmt::Arguments`.

>      let _ = w.write_fmt(unsafe { *ptr.cast::<fmt::Arguments<'_>>() });
>      w.pos().cast()
>  }
> @@ -109,7 +113,9 @@ pub unsafe fn call_printk(
>  ) {
>      // `_printk` does not seem to fail in any path.
>      #[cfg(CONFIG_PRINTK)]
> -    // SAFETY: TODO.
> +    // SAFETY: The format string is constructed to use `%pA`, which corresponds to the
> +    // pointer to `fmt::Arguments` passed as the third argument.
> +    // Since `args` is a valid reference, casting it to a pointer is safe.
>      unsafe {
>          bindings::_printk(
>              format_string.as_ptr(),
> -- 
> 2.50.0
>