Documentation: Document PowerPC kernel dynamic DEXCR interface

Documents how to use the PR_PPC_GET_DEXCR and PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR prctl()'s
for changing a process's DEXCR or its process tree default value.

Signed-off-by: Benjamin Gray <bgray@linux.ibm.com>
Signed-off-by: Michael Ellerman <mpe@ellerman.id.au>
Link: https://msgid.link/20240417112325.728010-10-bgray@linux.ibm.com

1 files changed, 139 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/arch/powerpc/dexcr.rst b/Documentation/arch/powerpc/dexcr.rst
index 615a631f51fa..ab0724212fcd 100644
--- a/Documentation/arch/powerpc/dexcr.rst
+++ b/Documentation/arch/powerpc/dexcr.rst
@@ -36,8 +36,145 @@ state for a process.
 Configuration
 =============
 
-The DEXCR is currently unconfigurable. All threads are run with the
-NPHIE aspect enabled.
+prctl
+-----
+
+A process can control its own userspace DEXCR value using the
+``PR_PPC_GET_DEXCR`` and ``PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR`` pair of
+:manpage:`prctl(2)` commands. These calls have the form::
+
+    prctl(PR_PPC_GET_DEXCR, unsigned long which, 0, 0, 0);
+    prctl(PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR, unsigned long which, unsigned long ctrl, 0, 0);
+
+The possible 'which' and 'ctrl' values are as follows. Note there is no relation
+between the 'which' value and the DEXCR aspect's index.
+
+.. flat-table::
+   :header-rows: 1
+   :widths: 2 7 1
+
+   * - ``prctl()`` which
+     - Aspect name
+     - Aspect index
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_SBHE``
+     - Speculative Branch Hint Enable (SBHE)
+     - 0
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_IBRTPD``
+     - Indirect Branch Recurrent Target Prediction Disable (IBRTPD)
+     - 3
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_SRAPD``
+     - Subroutine Return Address Prediction Disable (SRAPD)
+     - 4
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_NPHIE``
+     - Non-Privileged Hash Instruction Enable (NPHIE)
+     - 5
+
+.. flat-table::
+   :header-rows: 1
+   :widths: 2 8
+
+   * - ``prctl()`` ctrl
+     - Meaning
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_EDITABLE``
+     - This aspect can be configured with PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR (get only)
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_SET``
+     - This aspect is set / set this aspect
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_CLEAR``
+     - This aspect is clear / clear this aspect
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_SET_ONEXEC``
+     - This aspect will be set after exec / set this aspect after exec
+
+   * - ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_CLEAR_ONEXEC``
+     - This aspect will be clear after exec / clear this aspect after exec
+
+Note that
+
+* which is a plain value, not a bitmask. Aspects must be worked with individually.
+
+* ctrl is a bitmask. ``PR_PPC_GET_DEXCR`` returns both the current and onexec
+  configuration. For example, ``PR_PPC_GET_DEXCR`` may return
+  ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_EDITABLE | PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_SET |
+  PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_CLEAR_ONEXEC``. This would indicate the aspect is currently
+  set, it will be cleared when you run exec, and you can change this with the
+  ``PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR`` prctl.
+
+* The set/clear terminology refers to setting/clearing the bit in the DEXCR.
+  For example::
+
+      prctl(PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR, PR_PPC_DEXCR_IBRTPD, PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_SET, 0, 0);
+
+  will set the IBRTPD aspect bit in the DEXCR, causing indirect branch prediction
+  to be disabled.
+
+* The status returned by ``PR_PPC_GET_DEXCR`` represents what value the process
+  would like applied. It does not include any alternative overrides, such as if
+  the hypervisor is enforcing the aspect be set. To see the true DEXCR state
+  software should read the appropriate SPRs directly.
+
+* The aspect state when starting a process is copied from the parent's state on
+  :manpage:`fork(2)`. The state is reset to a fixed value on
+  :manpage:`execve(2)`. The PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR prctl() can control both of these
+  values.
+
+* The ``*_ONEXEC`` controls do not change the current process's DEXCR.
+
+Use ``PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR`` with one of ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_SET`` or
+``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_CLEAR`` to edit a given aspect.
+
+Common error codes for both getting and setting the DEXCR are as follows:
+
+.. flat-table::
+   :header-rows: 1
+   :widths: 2 8
+
+   * - Error
+     - Meaning
+
+   * - ``EINVAL``
+     - The DEXCR is not supported by the kernel.
+
+   * - ``ENODEV``
+     - The aspect is not recognised by the kernel or not supported by the
+       hardware.
+
+``PR_PPC_SET_DEXCR`` may also report the following error codes:
+
+.. flat-table::
+   :header-rows: 1
+   :widths: 2 8
+
+   * - Error
+     - Meaning
+
+   * - ``EINVAL``
+     - The ctrl value contains unrecognised flags.
+
+   * - ``EINVAL``
+     - The ctrl value contains mutually conflicting flags (e.g.,
+       ``PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_SET | PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_CLEAR``)
+
+   * - ``EPERM``
+     - This aspect cannot be modified with prctl() (check for the
+       PR_PPC_DEXCR_CTRL_EDITABLE flag with PR_PPC_GET_DEXCR).
+
+   * - ``EPERM``
+     - The process does not have sufficient privilege to perform the operation.
+       For example, clearing NPHIE on exec is a privileged operation (a process
+       can still clear its own NPHIE aspect without privileges).
+
+This interface allows a process to control its own DEXCR aspects, and also set
+the initial DEXCR value for any children in its process tree (up to the next
+child to use an ``*_ONEXEC`` control). This allows fine-grained control over the
+default value of the DEXCR, for example allowing containers to run with different
+default values.
 
 
 coredump and ptrace