312312//! For instance, ARM explicitly supports high-bit tagging, and so CHERI on ARM inherits
313313//! that and should support it.
314314//!
315- //! ## Pointer-usize-pointer roundtrips and 'exposed' provenance
315+ //! ## Exposed Provenance
316316//!
317- //! **This section is *non-normative* and is part of the [Strict Provenance] experiment.**
317+ //! **This section is *non-normative* and is an extension to the [Strict Provenance] experiment.**
318318//!
319319//! As discussed above, pointer-usize-pointer roundtrips are not possible under [Strict Provenance].
320- //! However, there exists legacy Rust code that is full of such roundtrips, and legacy platform APIs
321- //! regularly assume that `usize` can capture all the information that makes up a pointer. There
322- //! also might be code that cannot be ported to Strict Provenance (which is something we would [like
323- //! to hear about][Strict Provenance]).
324- //!
325- //! For situations like this, there is a fallback plan, a way to 'opt out' of Strict Provenance.
326- //! However, note that this makes your code a lot harder to specify, and the code will not work
327- //! (well) with tools like [Miri] and [CHERI].
328- //!
329- //! This fallback plan is provided by the [`expose_addr`] and [`from_exposed_addr`] methods (which
330- //! are equivalent to `as` casts between pointers and integers). [`expose_addr`] is a lot like
320+ //! This is by design: the goal of Strict Provenance is to provide a clear specification that we are
321+ //! confident can be formalized unambiguously and can be subject to precise formal reasoning.
322+ //!
323+ //! However, there exist situations where pointer-usize-pointer roundtrips cannot be avoided, or
324+ //! where avoiding them would require major refactoring. Legacy platform APIs also regularly assume
325+ //! that `usize` can capture all the information that makes up a pointer. The goal of Strict
326+ //! Provenance is not to rule out such code; the goal is to put all the *other* pointer-manipulating
327+ //! code onto a more solid foundation. Strict Provenance is about improving the situation where
328+ //! possible (all the code that can be written with Strict Provenance) without making things worse
329+ //! for situations where Strict Provenance is insufficient.
330+ //!
331+ //! For these situations, there is a highly experimental extension to Strict Provenance called
332+ //! *Exposed Provenance*. This extension permits pointer-usize-pointer roundtrips. However, its
333+ //! semantics are on much less solid footing than Strict Provenance, and at this point it is not yet
334+ //! clear where a satisfying unambiguous semantics can be defined for Exposed Provenance.
335+ //! Furthermore, Exposed Provenance will not work (well) with tools like [Miri] and [CHERI].
336+ //!
337+ //! Exposed Provenance is provided by the [`expose_addr`] and [`from_exposed_addr`] methods, which
338+ //! are meant to replace `as` casts between pointers and integers. [`expose_addr`] is a lot like
331339//! [`addr`], but additionally adds the provenance of the pointer to a global list of 'exposed'
332340//! provenances. (This list is purely conceptual, it exists for the purpose of specifying Rust but
333341//! is not materialized in actual executions, except in tools like [Miri].) [`from_exposed_addr`]
341349//! there is *no* previously 'exposed' provenance that justifies the way the returned pointer will
342350//! be used, the program has undefined behavior.
343351//!
344- //! Using [`expose_addr`] or [`from_exposed_addr`] (or the equivalent `as` casts) means that code is
352+ //! Using [`expose_addr`] or [`from_exposed_addr`] (or the `as` casts) means that code is
345353//! *not* following Strict Provenance rules. The goal of the Strict Provenance experiment is to
346- //! determine whether it is possible to use Rust without [`expose_addr`] and [`from_exposed_addr`].
347- //! If this is successful, it would be a major win for avoiding specification complexity and to
354+ //! determine how far one can get in Rust without the use of [`expose_addr`] and
355+ //! [`from_exposed_addr`], and to encourage code to be written with Strict Provenance APIs only.
356+ //! Maximizing the amount of such code is a major win for avoiding specification complexity and to
348357//! facilitate adoption of tools like [CHERI] and [Miri] that can be a big help in increasing the
349358//! confidence in (unsafe) Rust code.
350359//!
@@ -619,12 +628,12 @@ pub const fn invalid_mut<T>(addr: usize) -> *mut T {
619628
620629/// Convert an address back to a pointer, picking up a previously 'exposed' provenance.
621630///
622- /// This is equivalent to `addr as *const T`. The provenance of the returned pointer is that of *any*
623- /// pointer that was previously exposed by passing it to [`expose_addr`][pointer::expose_addr],
624- /// or a `ptr as usize` cast. In addition, memory which is outside the control of the Rust abstract
625- /// machine (MMIO registers, for example) is always considered to be exposed, so long as this memory
626- /// is disjoint from memory that will be used by the abstract machine such as the stack, heap,
627- /// and statics.
631+ /// This is a more rigorously specified alternative to `addr as *const T`. The provenance of the
632+ /// returned pointer is that of *any* pointer that was previously exposed by passing it to
633+ /// [`expose_addr`][pointer::expose_addr], or a `ptr as usize` cast. In addition, memory which is
634+ /// outside the control of the Rust abstract machine (MMIO registers, for example) is always
635+ /// considered to be exposed, so long as this memory is disjoint from memory that will be used by
636+ /// the abstract machine such as the stack, heap, and statics.
628637///
629638/// If there is no 'exposed' provenance that justifies the way this pointer will be used,
630639/// the program has undefined behavior. In particular, the aliasing rules still apply: pointers
@@ -639,7 +648,8 @@ pub const fn invalid_mut<T>(addr: usize) -> *mut T {
639648/// On platforms with multiple address spaces, it is your responsibility to ensure that the
640649/// address makes sense in the address space that this pointer will be used with.
641650///
642- /// Using this method means that code is *not* following strict provenance rules. "Guessing" a
651+ /// Using this function means that code is *not* following [Strict
652+ /// Provenance][../index.html#strict-provenance] rules. "Guessing" a
643653/// suitable provenance complicates specification and reasoning and may not be supported by
644654/// tools that help you to stay conformant with the Rust memory model, so it is recommended to
645655/// use [`with_addr`][pointer::with_addr] wherever possible.
@@ -649,13 +659,13 @@ pub const fn invalid_mut<T>(addr: usize) -> *mut T {
649659/// since it is generally not possible to actually *compute* which provenance the returned
650660/// pointer has to pick up.
651661///
652- /// This API and its claimed semantics are part of the Strict Provenance experiment, see the
653- /// [module documentation][crate::ptr] for details .
662+ /// It is unclear whether this function can be given a satisfying unambiguous specification. This
663+ /// API and its claimed semantics are part of [Exposed Provenance][../index.html#exposed-provenance] .
654664#[ must_use]
655665#[ inline( always) ]
656- #[ unstable( feature = "strict_provenance " , issue = "95228" ) ]
666+ #[ unstable( feature = "exposed_provenance " , issue = "95228" ) ]
657667#[ cfg_attr( miri, track_caller) ] // even without panics, this helps for Miri backtraces
658- #[ allow( fuzzy_provenance_casts) ] // this *is* the strict provenance API one should use instead
668+ #[ allow( fuzzy_provenance_casts) ] // this *is* the explicit provenance API one should use instead
659669pub fn from_exposed_addr < T > ( addr : usize ) -> * const T
660670where
661671 T : Sized ,
@@ -666,18 +676,20 @@ where
666676
667677/// Convert an address back to a mutable pointer, picking up a previously 'exposed' provenance.
668678///
669- /// This is equivalent to `addr as *mut T`. The provenance of the returned pointer is that of *any*
670- /// pointer that was previously passed to [`expose_addr`][pointer::expose_addr] or a `ptr as usize`
671- /// cast. If there is no previously 'exposed' provenance that justifies the way this pointer will be
672- /// used, the program has undefined behavior. Note that there is no algorithm that decides which
673- /// provenance will be used. You can think of this as "guessing" the right provenance, and the guess
674- /// will be "maximally in your favor", in the sense that if there is any way to avoid undefined
675- /// behavior, then that is the guess that will be taken.
679+ /// This is a more rigorously specified alternative to `addr as *mut T`. The provenance of the
680+ /// returned pointer is that of *any* pointer that was previously passed to
681+ /// [`expose_addr`][pointer::expose_addr] or a `ptr as usize` cast. If there is no previously
682+ /// 'exposed' provenance that justifies the way this pointer will be used, the program has undefined
683+ /// behavior. Note that there is no algorithm that decides which provenance will be used. You can
684+ /// think of this as "guessing" the right provenance, and the guess will be "maximally in your
685+ /// favor", in the sense that if there is any way to avoid undefined behavior, then that is the
686+ /// guess that will be taken.
676687///
677688/// On platforms with multiple address spaces, it is your responsibility to ensure that the
678689/// address makes sense in the address space that this pointer will be used with.
679690///
680- /// Using this method means that code is *not* following strict provenance rules. "Guessing" a
691+ /// Using this function means that code is *not* following [Strict
692+ /// Provenance][../index.html#strict-provenance] rules. "Guessing" a
681693/// suitable provenance complicates specification and reasoning and may not be supported by
682694/// tools that help you to stay conformant with the Rust memory model, so it is recommended to
683695/// use [`with_addr`][pointer::with_addr] wherever possible.
@@ -687,13 +699,13 @@ where
687699/// since it is generally not possible to actually *compute* which provenance the returned
688700/// pointer has to pick up.
689701///
690- /// This API and its claimed semantics are part of the Strict Provenance experiment, see the
691- /// [module documentation][crate::ptr] for details .
702+ /// It is unclear whether this function can be given a satisfying unambiguous specification. This
703+ /// API and its claimed semantics are part of [Exposed Provenance][../index.html#exposed-provenance] .
692704#[ must_use]
693705#[ inline( always) ]
694- #[ unstable( feature = "strict_provenance " , issue = "95228" ) ]
706+ #[ unstable( feature = "exposed_provenance " , issue = "95228" ) ]
695707#[ cfg_attr( miri, track_caller) ] // even without panics, this helps for Miri backtraces
696- #[ allow( fuzzy_provenance_casts) ] // this *is* the strict provenance API one should use instead
708+ #[ allow( fuzzy_provenance_casts) ] // this *is* the explicit provenance API one should use instead
697709pub fn from_exposed_addr_mut < T > ( addr : usize ) -> * mut T
698710where
699711 T : Sized ,
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