ioctl: move doc to README

README.adoc

@@ -3094,6 +3094,57 @@ ab
 cd
 ....
 
+==== ioctl
+
+In guest:
+
+....
+/ioctl.sh
+echo $?
+....
+
+Outcome: the test passes:
+
+....
+0
+....
+
+Sources:
+
+* link:kernel_module/ioctl.c[]
+* link:kernel_module/ioctl.h[]
+* link:kernel_module/user/ioctl.c[]
+* link:rootfs_overlay/ioctl.sh[]
+
+The `ioctl` system call is the best ways to provide an arbitrary number of parameters to the kernel in a single go.
+
+It is therefore one of the most important methods of communication with real device drivers, which often take several fields as input.
+
+`ioctl` takes as input:
+
+* an integer `request` : it usually identifies what type of operation we want to do on this call
+* an untyped pointer to memory: can be anything, but is typically a pointer to a `struct`
++
+The type of the `struct` often depends on the `request` input
++
+This `struct` is defined on a uapi-style C header that is used both to compile the kernel module and the userland executable.
++
+The fields of this `struct` can be thought of as arbitrary input parameters.
+
+And the output is:
+
+* an integer return value. `man ioctl` documents:
++
+____
+Usually, on success zero is returned. A few `ioctl()` requests use the return value as an output parameter and return a nonnegative value on success. On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set appropriately.
+____
+* the input pointer data may be overwritten to contain arbitrary output
+
+Bibliography:
+
+* https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2264384/how-do-i-use-ioctl-to-manipulate-my-kernel-module/44613896#44613896
+* https://askubuntu.com/questions/54239/problem-with-ioctl-in-a-simple-kernel-module/926675#926675
+
 ==== Character devices
 
 In guest:
@@ -3193,7 +3244,7 @@ Sources:
 * link:kernel_module/user/anonymous_inode.c[]
 * link:rootfs_overlay/anonymous_inode.sh[]
 
-This example gets an anonymous inode via `ioctl` from a debugfs entry by using `anon_inode_getfd`.
+This example gets an anonymous inode via <<ioctl>> from a debugfs entry by using `anon_inode_getfd`.
 
 Reads to that inode return the sequence: `1`, `10`, `100`, ... `10000000`, `1`, `100`, ...
 

kernel_module/README.adoc

@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 ... link:dep.c[]
 ... link:dep2.c[]
 . Pseudo filesystems
-.. link:ioctl.c[]
 .. link:mmap.c[]
 .. link:poll.c[]
 . Asynchronous

kernel_module/ioctl.c

@@ -1,23 +1,4 @@
-/*
+/* https://github.com/cirosantilli/linux-kernel-module-cheat#ioctl */
-Input: an integer (with some annoying restrictions) and a pointer
-
-Output:
-
-- positive integer return value, which for sanity should only be used with negative values for success
-- the input pointer data may be overwritten to contain output
-
-Feels like an archaic API... so many weird restrictions and types for something that could be so simple!
-
-Documentation/ioctl/ioctl-number.txt has some info:
-
-    _IO    an ioctl with no parameters
-    _IOW   an ioctl with write parameters (copy_from_user)
-    _IOR   an ioctl with read parameters  (copy_to_user)
-    _IOWR  an ioctl with both write and read parameters.
-
-- https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2264384/how-do-i-use-ioctl-to-manipulate-my-kernel-module/44613896#44613896
-- https://askubuntu.com/questions/54239/problem-with-ioctl-in-a-simple-kernel-module/926675#926675
-*/
 
 #include <linux/debugfs.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>

kernel_module/ioctl.h

@@ -9,11 +9,10 @@ typedef struct {
 	int j;
 } lkmc_ioctl_struct;
 
-/* Some random number I can't understand how to choose. */
+/* TODO some random number I can't understand how to choose. */
 #define LKMC_IOCTL_MAGIC 0x33
 
-/*
+/* I think those number do not *need* to be unique across, that is just to help debugging:
- * I think those number does not *need* to be unique across, that is just to help debugging:
  * https://stackoverflow.com/questions/22496123/what-is-the-meaning-of-this-macro-iormy-macig-0-int
  *
  * However, the ioctl syscall highjacks several low values at do_vfs_ioctl, e.g.
@@ -25,8 +24,19 @@ typedef struct {
  * https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6125068/what-does-the-fd-cloexec-fcntl-flag-do
  *
  * TODO are the W or R of _IOx and type functional, or only to help with uniqueness?
- * */
+ *
+ * Documentation/ioctl/ioctl-number.txt documents:
+ *
+ * ....
+ * _IO    an ioctl with no parameters
+ * _IOW   an ioctl with write parameters (copy_from_user)
+ * _IOR   an ioctl with read parameters  (copy_to_user)
+ * _IOWR  an ioctl with both write and read parameters.
+ * ....
+ */
+/* Take an int, increment it. */
 #define LKMC_IOCTL_INC     _IOWR(LKMC_IOCTL_MAGIC, 0, int)
+/* Take a struct with two ints, increment the first, and decrement the second. */
 #define LKMC_IOCTL_INC_DEC _IOWR(LKMC_IOCTL_MAGIC, 1, lkmc_ioctl_struct)
 
 #endif

kernel_module/user/ioctl.c

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+/* https://github.com/cirosantilli/linux-kernel-module-cheat#ioctl */
+
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
@@ -12,43 +14,53 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	int fd, arg_int, ret;
+	char *ioctl_path;
+	int fd, request, arg0, arg1, arg_int, ret;
 	lkmc_ioctl_struct arg_struct;
 
 	if (argc < 2) {
-		puts("Usage: ./prog <ioctl-file>");
+		puts("Usage: ./prog <ioctl-file> <request> [<arg>...]");
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
-	fd = open(argv[1], O_RDONLY);
+	ioctl_path = argv[1];
+	request = strtol(argv[2], NULL, 10);
+	if (argc > 3) {
+		arg0 = strtol(argv[3], NULL, 10);
+	}
+	if (argc > 4) {
+		arg1 = strtol(argv[4], NULL, 10);
+	}
+
+	fd = open(ioctl_path, O_RDONLY);
 	if (fd == -1) {
 		perror("open");
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
-	/* 0 */
+	switch (request)
 	{
-		arg_int = 1;
+		case 0:
-		ret = ioctl(fd, LKMC_IOCTL_INC, &arg_int);
+			arg_int = arg0;
-		if (ret == -1) {
+			ret = ioctl(fd, LKMC_IOCTL_INC, &arg_int);
-			perror("ioctl");
+			if (ret != -1) {
+				printf("%d\n", arg_int);
+			}
+			break;
+		case 1:
+			arg_struct.i = arg0;
+			arg_struct.j = arg1;
+			ret = ioctl(fd, LKMC_IOCTL_INC_DEC, &arg_struct);
+			if (ret != -1) {
+				printf("%d %d\n", arg_struct.i, arg_struct.j);
+			}
+			break;
+		default:
+			puts("error: unknown request");
 			return EXIT_FAILURE;
-		}
-		printf("arg = %d\n", arg_int);
-		printf("ret = %d\n", ret);
-		printf("errno = %d\n", errno);
 	}
-	puts("");
+	if (ret == -1) {
-	/* 1 */
+		perror("ioctl");
-	{
-		arg_struct.i = 1;
-		arg_struct.j = 1;
-		ret = ioctl(fd, LKMC_IOCTL_INC_DEC, &arg_struct);
-		if (ret == -1) {
-			perror("ioctl");
-			return EXIT_FAILURE;
-		}
-		printf("arg = %d %d\n", arg_struct.i, arg_struct.j);
-		printf("ret = %d\n", ret);
 		printf("errno = %d\n", errno);
+		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 	close(fd);
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;

rootfs_overlay/ioctl.sh

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 set -e
+f=/sys/kernel/debug/lkmc_ioctl
 insmod /ioctl.ko
-/ioctl.out /sys/kernel/debug/lkmc_ioctl
+[ "$(/ioctl.out "$f" 0 1)" = 2 ]
+[ "$(/ioctl.out "$f" 1 1 1)" = '2 0' ]
 rmmod ioctl

rootfs_overlay/test_all.sh

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ for test in \
   /character_device_create.sh \
   /debugfs.sh \
   /fops.sh \
+  /ioctl.sh \
   /procfs.sh \
   /seq_file.sh \
   /seq_file_single_open.sh \