namei, lookup, relookup, NDINIT - pathname lookup
#include <sys/param.h>
#include <sys/namei.h>
int
namei(struct nameidata *ndp);
int
lookup(struct nameidata *ndp);
int
relookup(struct vnode *dvp, struct vnode **vpp,
struct componentname *cnp);
void
NDINIT(struct nameidata *ndp, u_long op, u_long flags,
enum uio_seg segflg, const char *namep, struct proc
*p);
The namei interface is used to convert pathnames to file
system vnodes.
The name of the interface is actually a contraction of the
words name and
inode for name-to-inode conversion, in the days before the
vfs(9) interface
was implemented.
The arguments passed to the functions are encapsulated in
the nameidata
structure. It has the following structure:
struct nameidata {
/*
* Arguments to namei/lookup.
*/
const char *ni_dirp; /* pathname pointer
*/
enum uio_seg ni_segflg; /* location of pathname */
/*
* Arguments to lookup.
*/
struct vnode *ni_startdir; /* starting directory */
struct vnode *ni_rootdir; /* logical root directory */
/*
* Results: returned from/manipulated by lookup
*/
struct vnode *ni_vp; /* vnode of result
*/
struct vnode *ni_dvp; /* vnode of intermediate dir */
/*
* Shared between namei and lookup/commit routines.
*/
size_t ni_pathlen; /* remaining chars
in path */
const char *ni_next; /* next location in
pathname */
u_long ni_loopcnt; /* count of symlinks
encountered */
/*
* Lookup parameters
*/
struct componentname ni_cnd;
};
The namei interface accesses vnode operations by passing arguments in the
partially initialised componentname structure ni_cnd. This
structure describes
the subset of information from the nameidata structure that is
passed through to the vnode operations. See VOP_LOOKUP(9)
for more information.
The details of the componentname structure are
not absolutely
necessary since the members are initialised by the helper
macro NDINIT().
It is useful to know the operations and flags as specified
in
VOP_LOOKUP(9).
The namei interface overloads ni_cnd.cn_flags with some additional flags.
These flags should be specific to the namei interface and
ignored by vnode
operations. However, due to the historic close relationship between
the namei interface and the vnode operations, these flags
are sometimes
used (and set) by vnode operations, particularly
VOP_LOOKUP(). The additional
flags are:
NOCROSSMOUNT do not cross mount points
RDONLY lookup with read-only semantics
HASBUF caller has allocated pathname buffer
ni_cnd.cn_pnbuf
SAVENAME save pathname buffer
SAVESTART save starting directory
ISDOTDOT current pathname component is ..
MAKEENTRY add entry to the name cache
ISLASTCN this is last component of pathname
ISSYMLINK symlink needs interpretation
ISWHITEOUT found whiteout
DOWHITEOUT do whiteouts
REQUIREDIR must be a directory
PDIRUNLOCK vfs_lookup() unlocked parent dir
If the caller of namei() sets the SAVENAME flag, then it
must free the
buffer. If VOP_LOOKUP() sets the flag, then the buffer must
be freed by
either the commit routine or the VOP_ABORT() routine. The
SAVESTART flag
is set only by the callers of namei(). It implies SAVENAME
plus the addition
of saving the parent directory that contains the name
in
ni_startdir. It allows repeated calls to lookup() for the
name being
sought. The caller is responsible for releasing the buffer
and for invoking
vrele() on ni_startdir.
All access to the namei interface must be in process context. Pathname
lookups cannot be done in interrupt context.
namei(ndp)
Convert a pathname into a pointer to a locked inode. The pathname
is specified by ndp->ni_dirp and is of length
ndp->ni_pathlen. The ndp->segflg flags defines
whether the name
in ndp->ni_dirp is an address in kernel space
(UIO_SYSSPACE) or
an address in user space (UIO_USERSPACE). The
locked vnode for
the pathname is referenced and returned in
ndp->ni_vp.
If ndp->ni_cnd.cn_flags has the FOLLOW flag set
then symbolic
links are followed when they occur at the end of
the name translation
process. Symbolic links are always followed
for all other
pathname components other than the last.
lookup(ndp)
Search for a pathname. This is a very central and
rather complicated
routine.
The pathname is specified by ndp->ni_dirp and is of
length
ndp->ni_pathlen. The starting directory is taken
from
ndp->ni_startdir. The pathname is descended until
done, or a
symbolic link is encountered.
The semantics of lookup() are altered by the operation specified
by ndp->ni_cnd.cn_nameiop. When CREATE, RENAME, or
DELETE is
specified, information usable in creating, renaming, or deleting
a directory entry may be calculated.
If ndp->ci_cnd.cn_flags has LOCKPARENT set, the
parent directory
is returned locked in ndp->ni_dvp. If WANTPARENT
is set, the
parent directory is returned unlocked. Otherwise
the parent directory
is not returned. If the target of the
pathname exists
and LOCKLEAF is set, the target is returned locked
in
ndp->ni_vp, otherwise it is returned unlocked.
relookup(dvp, vpp, cnp)
Reacquire a path name component is a directory.
This is a
quicker way to lookup a pathname component when the
parent directory
is known. The unlocked parent directory
vnode is specified
by dvp and the pathname component by cnp. The
vnode of the
pathname is returned in the address specified by
vpp.
NDINIT(ndp, op, flags, segflg, namep, p)
Initialise a nameidata structure pointed to by ndp
for use by
the namei interface. It saves having to deal with
the componentname
structure inside ndp. The operation and
flags are
specified by op and flags respectively. These are
the values to
which ndp->ni_cnd.cn_nameiop and
ndp->ni_cnd.cn_flags are respectively
set. The segment flags which defines
whether the
pathname is in kernel address space or user address
space is
specified by segflg. The argument namep is a
pointer to the
pathname that ndp->ni_dirp is set to and p is the
calling process.
The name lookup subsystem is implemented within the file
sys/kern/vfs_lookup.c.
intro(9), vfs(9), vnode(9), VOP_LOOKUP(9)
It is unfortunate that much of the namei interface makes assumptions on
the underlying vnode operations. These assumptions are an
artefact of
the introduction of the vfs interface to split a file system
interface
which was historically designed as a tightly coupled module.
OpenBSD 3.6 October 13, 2001
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