3 files changed, 33 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/Locking b/Documentation/filesystems/Locking
index 33fa3e5d38f..9a76f8d8bf9 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/Locking
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/Locking
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ be able to use diff(1).
 prototypes:
         int (*d_revalidate)(struct dentry *, int);
         int (*d_hash) (struct dentry *, struct qstr *);
-        int (*d_compare) (struct dentry *, struct qstr *, struct qstr *);
+        int (*d_compare)(const struct dentry *, const struct inode *,
+                        const struct dentry *, const struct inode *,
+                        unsigned int, const char *, const struct qstr *);
         int (*d_delete)(struct dentry *);
         void (*d_release)(struct dentry *);
         void (*d_iput)(struct dentry *, struct inode *);
diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/porting b/Documentation/filesystems/porting
index 9e71c9ad310..d44511e2082 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/porting
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/porting
@@ -326,3 +326,10 @@ to it.
 unreferenced dentries, and is now only called when the dentry refcount goes to
 0. Even on 0 refcount transition, it must be able to tolerate being called 0,
 1, or more times (eg. constant, idempotent).
+
+---
+[mandatory]
+
+        .d_compare() calling convention and locking rules are significantly
+changed. Read updated documentation in Documentation/filesystems/vfs.txt (and
+look at examples of other filesystems) for guidance.
diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/vfs.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/vfs.txt
index 95c0a93f056..250681b8c7c 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/vfs.txt
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/vfs.txt
@@ -848,7 +848,9 @@ defined:
 struct dentry_operations {
         int (*d_revalidate)(struct dentry *, struct nameidata *);
         int (*d_hash)(struct dentry *, struct qstr *);
-        int (*d_compare)(struct dentry *, struct qstr *, struct qstr *);
+        int (*d_compare)(const struct dentry *, const struct inode *,
+                        const struct dentry *, const struct inode *,
+                        unsigned int, const char *, const struct qstr *);
         int (*d_delete)(const struct dentry *);
         void (*d_release)(struct dentry *);
         void (*d_iput)(struct dentry *, struct inode *);
@@ -860,9 +862,27 @@ struct dentry_operations {
         dcache. Most filesystems leave this as NULL, because all their
         dentries in the dcache are valid
 
-  d_hash: called when the VFS adds a dentry to the hash table
+  d_hash: called when the VFS adds a dentry to the hash table. The first
+        dentry passed to d_hash is the parent directory that the name is
+        to be hashed into.
 
-  d_compare: called when a dentry should be compared with another
+  d_compare: called to compare a dentry name with a given name. The first
+        dentry is the parent of the dentry to be compared, the second is
+        the parent's inode, then the dentry and inode (may be NULL) of the
+        child dentry. len and name string are properties of the dentry to be
+        compared. qstr is the name to compare it with.
+
+        Must be constant and idempotent, and should not take locks if
+        possible, and should not or store into the dentry or inodes.
+        Should not dereference pointers outside the dentry or inodes without
+        lots of care (eg.  d_parent, d_inode, d_name should not be used).
+
+        However, our vfsmount is pinned, and RCU held, so the dentries and
+        inodes won't disappear, neither will our sb or filesystem module.
+        ->i_sb and ->d_sb may be used.
+
+        It is a tricky calling convention because it needs to be called under
+        "rcu-walk", ie. without any locks or references on things.
 
   d_delete: called when the last reference to a dentry is dropped and the
         dcache is deciding whether or not to cache it. Return 1 to delete