scalable symbol flags with __kflagstab

From:		Siddharth Nayyar <sidnayyar-AT-google.com>
To:		petr.pavlu-AT-suse.com
Subject:		[PATCH v2 00/10] scalable symbol flags with __kflagstab
Date:		Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:39:08 +0000
Message-ID:		<20251013153918.2206045-1-sidnayyar@google.com>
Cc:		arnd-AT-arndb.de, linux-arch-AT-vger.kernel.org, linux-kbuild-AT-vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel-AT-vger.kernel.org, linux-modules-AT-vger.kernel.org, mcgrof-AT-kernel.org, nathan-AT-kernel.org, nicolas.schier-AT-linux.dev, samitolvanen-AT-google.com, sidnayyar-AT-google.com, maennich-AT-google.com, gprocida-AT-google.com
Archive-link:		Article

This patch series implements a mechanism for scalable exported symbol
flags using a separate section called __kflagstab. The series introduces
__kflagstab support, removes *_gpl sections in favor of a GPL flag,
simplifies symbol resolution during module loading, and adds symbol
import protection.

Thank you Petr Pavlu for their valuable feedback.

---
Changes from v1:
- added a check to ensure __kflagstab is present
- added warnings for the obsolete *_gpl sections
- moved protected symbol check before ref_module() call
- moved protected symbol check failure warning to issue detection point

v1:
https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250829105418.3053274-1-sidn...

Siddharth Nayyar (10):
  define kernel symbol flags
  linker: add kflagstab section to vmlinux and modules
  modpost: create entries for kflagstab
  module loader: use kflagstab instead of *_gpl sections
  modpost: put all exported symbols in ksymtab section
  module loader: remove references of *_gpl sections
  linker: remove *_gpl sections from vmlinux and modules
  remove references to *_gpl sections in documentation
  modpost: add symbol import protection flag to kflagstab
  module loader: enforce symbol import protection

 Documentation/kbuild/modules.rst  |  11 +--
 include/asm-generic/vmlinux.lds.h |  21 ++----
 include/linux/export-internal.h   |  28 +++++---
 include/linux/module.h            |   4 +-
 include/linux/module_symbol.h     |   6 ++
 kernel/module/internal.h          |   5 +-
 kernel/module/main.c              | 112 +++++++++++++++---------------
 scripts/mod/modpost.c             |  27 +++++--
 scripts/module.lds.S              |   3 +-
 9 files changed, 120 insertions(+), 97 deletions(-)

-- 
2.51.0.740.g6adb054d12-goog