printk: ringbuffer: Clarify special lpos values

For empty line records, no data blocks are created. Instead,
these valid records are identified by special logical position
values (in fields of @prb_desc.text_blk_lpos).

Currently the macro NO_LPOS is used for empty line records.
This name is confusing because it does not imply _why_ there is
no data block.

Rename NO_LPOS to EMPTY_LINE_LPOS so that it is clear why there
is no data block.

Also add comments explaining the use of EMPTY_LINE_LPOS as well
as clarification to the values used to represent data-less
blocks.
Signed-off-by: John Ogness <john.ogness@linutronix.de>
Reviewed-by: Petr Mladek <pmladek@suse.com>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20240207134103.1357162-6-john.ogness@linutronix.deSigned-off-by: Petr Mladek <pmladek@suse.com>

kernel/printk/printk_ringbuffer.c

@@ -1034,9 +1034,13 @@ static char *data_alloc(struct printk_ringbuffer *rb, unsigned int size,
 	unsigned long next_lpos;
 
 	if (size == 0) {
-		/* Specify a data-less block. */
-		blk_lpos->begin = NO_LPOS;
-		blk_lpos->next = NO_LPOS;
+		/*
+		 * Data blocks are not created for empty lines. Instead, the
+		 * reader will recognize these special lpos values and handle
+		 * it appropriately.
+		 */
+		blk_lpos->begin = EMPTY_LINE_LPOS;
+		blk_lpos->next = EMPTY_LINE_LPOS;
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -1214,10 +1218,18 @@ static const char *get_data(struct prb_data_ring *data_ring,
 
 	/* Data-less data block description. */
 	if (BLK_DATALESS(blk_lpos)) {
-		if (blk_lpos->begin == NO_LPOS && blk_lpos->next == NO_LPOS) {
+		/*
+		 * Records that are just empty lines are also valid, even
+		 * though they do not have a data block. For such records
+		 * explicitly return empty string data to signify success.
+		 */
+		if (blk_lpos->begin == EMPTY_LINE_LPOS &&
+		    blk_lpos->next == EMPTY_LINE_LPOS) {
 			*data_size = 0;
 			return "";
 		}
+
+		/* Data lost, invalid, or otherwise unavailable. */
 		return NULL;
 	}
 

kernel/printk/printk_ringbuffer.h

@@ -127,8 +127,22 @@ enum desc_state {
 #define DESC_SV(id, state)	(((unsigned long)state << DESC_FLAGS_SHIFT) | id)
 #define DESC_ID_MASK		(~DESC_FLAGS_MASK)
 #define DESC_ID(sv)		((sv) & DESC_ID_MASK)
+
+/*
+ * Special data block logical position values (for fields of
+ * @prb_desc.text_blk_lpos).
+ *
+ * - Bit0 is used to identify if the record has no data block. (Implemented in
+ *   the LPOS_DATALESS() macro.)
+ *
+ * - Bit1 specifies the reason for not having a data block.
+ *
+ * These special values could never be real lpos values because of the
+ * meta data and alignment padding of data blocks. (See to_blk_size() for
+ * details.)
+ */
 #define FAILED_LPOS		0x1
-#define NO_LPOS			0x3
+#define EMPTY_LINE_LPOS		0x3
 
 #define FAILED_BLK_LPOS	\
 {				\