@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ struct statx {
__u32 stx_dev_major; /* Major ID */
__u32 stx_dev_minor; /* Minor ID */
__u64 stx_mnt_id; /* Mount ID */
+ __u64 stx_ino_version; /* Inode change attribute */
};
.EE
.in
@@ -247,6 +248,7 @@ STATX_BTIME Want stx_btime
STATX_ALL The same as STATX_BASIC_STATS | STATX_BTIME.
It is deprecated and should not be used.
STATX_MNT_ID Want stx_mnt_id (since Linux 5.8)
+STATX_INO_VERSION Want stx_ino_version (DRAFT)
.TE
.in
.PP
@@ -407,10 +409,16 @@ This is the same number reported by
.BR name_to_handle_at (2)
and corresponds to the number in the first field in one of the records in
.IR /proc/self/mountinfo .
+.TP
+.I stx_ino_version
+The inode version, also known as the inode change attribute. See
+.BR inode (7)
+for details.
.PP
For further information on the above fields, see
.BR inode (7).
.\"
+.TP
.SS File attributes
The
.I stx_attributes
@@ -184,6 +184,12 @@ Last status change timestamp (ctime)
This is the file's last status change timestamp.
It is changed by writing or by setting inode information
(i.e., owner, group, link count, mode, etc.).
+.TP
+Inode version (i_version)
+(not returned in the \fIstat\fP structure); \fIstatx.stx_ino_version\fP
+.IP
+This is the inode change counter. See the discussion of
+\fBthe inode version counter\fP, below.
.PP
The timestamp fields report time measured with a zero point at the
.IR Epoch ,
@@ -424,6 +430,34 @@ on a directory means that a file
in that directory can be renamed or deleted only by the owner
of the file, by the owner of the directory, and by a privileged
process.
+.SS The inode version counter
+.PP
+The
+.I statx.stx_ino_version
+field is the inode change counter. Any operation that would result in a
+change to \fIstatx.stx_ctime\fP must result in an increase to this value.
+The value must increase even in the case where the ctime change is not
+evident due to coarse timestamp granularity.
+.PP
+An observer cannot infer anything from amount of increase about the
+nature or magnitude of the change. If the returned value is different
+from the last time it was checked, then something has made an explicit
+data and/or metadata change to the inode.
+.PP
+In the event of a system crash, this value can appear to go backward,
+if it were queried before ever being written to the backing store. If
+the value were then incremented again after restart, then an observer
+could miss noticing a change.
+.PP
+In order to guard against this, it is recommended to also watch the
+\fIstatx.stx_ctime\fP for changes when watching this value. As long as the
+system clock doesn't jump backward during the crash, an observer can be
+reasonably sure that the i_version and ctime together represent a unique inode
+state.
+.PP
+The i_version is a Linux extension and is not supported by all filesystems.
+The application must verify that the \fISTATX_INO_VERSION\fP bit is set in the
+returned \fIstatx.stx_mask\fP before relying on this field.
.SH STANDARDS
If you need to obtain the definition of the
.I blkcnt_t
I'm proposing to expose the inode change attribute via statx [1]. Document what this value means and what an observer can infer from a change in its value. Signed-off-by: Jeff Layton <jlayton@kernel.org> [1]: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-nfs/20220826214703.134870-1-jlayton@kernel.org/T/#t --- man2/statx.2 | 8 ++++++++ man7/inode.7 | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 42 insertions(+) v3: Move most verbiage to inode(7) Clarify that this must be monotonically increasing Flesh out usage discussion Mention issues with value moving backward and how to combat them