I ran into a eBPF program load error, system call bpf() returned -EPERM. It turned out that bpf_prog_load() bpf_prog_charge_memlock() __bpf_prog_charge() operated on a strange value of user->locked_vm: user->locked_vm:0xfffffffffffffe04 when accounting for 1 page.
I bisected this strange value to commit d44248a41337 ("perf/core: Rework memory accounting in perf_mmap()") I added printk at end of function perf_mmap() to show allocation and at end of function perf_mmap_close() to display memory release. Then I run command 'perf record -e rbd000' to record samples and saving them in the auxiliary trace buffer. Here is the output, copied from the dmesg buffer: During allocation the values increase [52.250027] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x87 pinned_vm:0x0 ret:0 [52.250115] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x107 pinned_vm:0x0 ret:0 [52.250251] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x188 pinned_vm:0x0 ret:0 [52.250326] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x208 pinned_vm:0x0 ret:0 [52.250441] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x289 pinned_vm:0x0 ret:0 [52.250498] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x309 pinned_vm:0x0 ret:0 [52.250613] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x38a pinned_vm:0x0 ret:0 [52.250715] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x2 ret:0 [52.250834] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x83 ret:0 [52.250915] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x103 ret:0 [52.251061] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x184 ret:0 [52.251146] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x204 ret:0 [52.251299] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x285 ret:0 [52.251383] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x305 ret:0 [52.251544] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x386 ret:0 [52.251634] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x406 ret:0 [52.253018] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x487 ret:0 [52.253197] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x508 ret:0 [52.253374] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x589 ret:0 [52.253550] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x60a ret:0 [52.253726] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x68b ret:0 [52.253903] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x70c ret:0 [52.254084] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x78d ret:0 [52.254263] perf_mmap user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x80e ret:0 The value of user->locked_vm increases to a limit then the memory is tracked by pinned_vm. During deallocation the size is subtracted from pinned_vm until it hits a limit. Then a larger value is subtracted from locked_vm leading to a large number (because of type unsigned): [64.267797] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x78d [64.267826] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x70c [64.267848] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x68b [64.267869] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x60a [64.267891] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x589 [64.267911] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x508 [64.267933] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x487 [64.267952] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x408 pinned_vm:0x406 [64.268883] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x307 pinned_vm:0x406 [64.269117] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x206 pinned_vm:0x406 [64.269433] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x105 pinned_vm:0x406 [64.269536] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0x4 pinned_vm:0x404 [64.269797] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0xffffffffffffff84 pinned_vm:0x303 [64.270105] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0xffffffffffffff04 pinned_vm:0x202 [64.270374] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0xfffffffffffffe84 pinned_vm:0x101 [64.270628] perf_mmap_close mmap_user->locked_vm:0xfffffffffffffe04 pinned_vm:0x0 This value sticks for the user until system is rebooted, causing follow-on system calls using locked_vm resource limit to fail. This happens on a s390 (where I can proof it), but I am sure this affects other plattforms too as above commit changes common code. If you send me a fix, I can verify it. -- Thomas Richter, Dept 3252, IBM s390 Linux Development, Boeblingen, Germany -- Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Matthias Hartmann Geschäftsführung: Dirk Wittkopp Sitz der Gesellschaft: Böblingen / Registergericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 243294