Re: [PATCH v2] fat: fix parent link count when replacing a sibling directory

From: OGAWA Hirofumi

Date: Fri Oct 30 2026 - 00:36:31 EST


Hungyu Lin <dennylin0707@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

> vfat_rename() and do_msdos_rename() adjust parent link counts only when
> updating the dotdot entry for a move between different parents. Replacing
> an existing empty directory in the same parent also removes a
> subdirectory, but leaves the parent's link count unchanged.
>
> For example, renaming one of two sibling directories over the other
> leaves the parent with four links instead of three. stat and ls report
> the stale count, and find -links 3 does not match the parent.
>
> Drop the parent's link count for this case after the source entry has
> been removed successfully. Leave cross-parent renames, regular files
> and the existing error paths unchanged.
>
> As in rmdir, check that the parent's link count is at least three before
> decrementing it. Report a filesystem error if corrupted directory entries
> have left the count too low, rather than reducing it below two.
>
> Acked-by: OGAWA Hirofumi <hirofumi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Signed-off-by: Hungyu Lin <dennylin0707@xxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> Changes in v2:
> - Check the parent link count before decrementing it and report low
> counts with fat_fs_error(), matching rmdir(), as noted by Sashiko.
> - Retain Hirofumi's Acked-by from v1.
>
> v1: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20261028211626.26103-1-dennylin0707@xxxxxxxxx
> Review: https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20261028211626.26103-1-dennylin0707@xxxxxxxxx
> fs/fat/namei_msdos.c | 8 ++++++++
> fs/fat/namei_vfat.c | 8 ++++++++
> 2 files changed, 16 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/fs/fat/namei_msdos.c b/fs/fat/namei_msdos.c
> index c7500c2859e0..97289c9d9261 100644
> --- a/fs/fat/namei_msdos.c
> +++ b/fs/fat/namei_msdos.c
> @@ -565,6 +565,14 @@ static int do_msdos_rename(struct inode *old_dir, unsigned char *old_name,
> (void)sync_inode_metadata(old_dir, 1);
>
> if (new_inode) {
> + if (is_dir && old_dir == new_dir) {
> + if (old_dir->i_nlink >= 3)
> + drop_nlink(old_dir);
> + else
> + fat_fs_error(old_dir->i_sb,
> + "parent dir link count too low (%u)",
> + old_dir->i_nlink);
> + }
> drop_nlink(new_inode);
> if (is_dir)
> drop_nlink(new_inode);
> diff --git a/fs/fat/namei_vfat.c b/fs/fat/namei_vfat.c
> index ff7652bf0410..c4d5628c05fa 100644
> --- a/fs/fat/namei_vfat.c
> +++ b/fs/fat/namei_vfat.c
> @@ -1011,6 +1011,14 @@ static int vfat_rename(struct inode *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
> vfat_update_dir_metadata(old_dir, &ts);
>
> if (new_inode) {
> + if (is_dir && old_dir == new_dir) {
> + if (old_dir->i_nlink >= 3)
> + drop_nlink(old_dir);
> + else
> + fat_fs_error(old_dir->i_sb,
> + "parent dir link count too low (%u)",
> + old_dir->i_nlink);
> + }
> drop_nlink(new_inode);
> if (is_dir)
> drop_nlink(new_inode);

Thanks. Hm, how about move those same code to fat module

fat_dir_drop_nlink()
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fat_dir_drop_nlink)

as such function for 3 places?
--
OGAWA Hirofumi <hirofumi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>