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[[!tag stable_URL open_issue_binutils]]

Here's what's to be done for maintaining GNU Binutils.

As these tools primarily deal with low-level parts of the target architecture
and the object file format (ELF ABI), which are essentially (at least meant to
be) the same, there shouldn't be many differences comparing the binutils
between the GNU/Hurd and GNU/Linux ports, for example.  There are a few,
though, as explained below.

[[!toc levels=2]]


# [[General information|/binutils]]


# Configuration

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-i
/^---.*/([^.]*|.*\.texi.*|[^/]*gnu[^/]*)$|hurd|linux|nacl|nptl|glibc|gs:

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Last reviewed up to the Git mirror's commit
a0a1bb07cb2c03b7d34f12e734c6f363ddb7c7b2 (2013-11-12).

  * Globally

      * a.out (such as `ld/emulparams/i386linux.sh`, `ld/emultempl/linux.em`,
        etc.), COFF, PE image support and 64-bit support are not interesting.

      * In the testsuites, `.exp` and `.d` files very likely should not only
        care for `*-*-linux*`, but also `*-*-gnu*`.  (If they need to be
        conditionalized like this at all.)

  * `bfd/`

      * `config.bfd`

          * `i[3-7]86-*-gnu*`

            Comparing to `i[3-7]86-*-linux-*`:

              * `i386linux_vec` -- a.out.

              * `i386pei_vec` -- PE.

              * 64 bit.

      * `configure.host`

        Souldn't need anything.  x86 Linux neither.

      * `configure.in`

        Linux:

          * `COREFILE=trad-core.lo` with `TRAD_HEADER='"hosts/i386linux.h"'`

            We don't have any such core file support configured.  TODO: should
            we?  Where is this core file reading exactly used?  GDB?

          * `i386linux_vec` -- a.out.

          * `i386pei_vec` -- PE.

  * `binutils/`

      * `configure.tgt`

  * `gas/`

      * `config/te-gnu.h`

        C.f. `te-linux.h`; search tree for `TE_LINUX` vs. `TE_GNU` usage.

          * `tc-i386.h`

            Sole `TE_LINUX` usage is for a.out.

      * `configure.tgt`

  * `ld/`

     * `configure.host`

         * `*-*-gnu*`

            TODO: resolve `crt0.o` vs. `crt1.o` issue.  [[Testsuite
            failures|binutils#static]].

      * `configure.tgt`

          * `i[3-7]86-*-gnu*`

            Compare to `i[3-7]86-*-linux-*`, but don't need a.out (`i386linux`)
            and 64 bit support.

  * `__ehdr_start symbol`, c84ed8d89d0b8bf5a2968d465f77ac24bcfc40c2 -- can this
    be helpful in the exec server, glibc, or elsewhere?  Used in GDB (BFD)
    commit bdbd9758806ed855af89244870fdc52cf3ff09bc.
    Used in glibc commit 288f7d79fe2dcc8e62c539f57b25d7662a2cd5ff `Use
    __ehdr_start, if available, as fallback for AT_PHDR.`.

  * `Add HOSTING_SCRT0 for PIE test`, 49cc20aa5c416ea4307931cccf6353247368187d
    -- is for GNU/Linux only; but also seems unused.


# Build

Here's a log of a binutils build run; this is from the Git mirror's commit
a0a1bb07cb2c03b7d34f12e734c6f363ddb7c7b2 (2013-11-12), run on
kepler.SCHWINGE and coulomb.SCHWINGE.

    $ export LC_ALL=C
    $ ../Paul_Desmond/configure --prefix="$PWD".install --enable-gold --with-sysroot=/ SHELL=/bin/dash CC=gcc-4.8 CXX=g++-4.8 2>&1 | tee log_build
    [...]
    $ make 2>&1 | tee log_build_
    [...]

Different hosts may default to different shells and compiler versions; thus
harmonized.  Debian GCC (which is used in binutils' testsuite) likes to pass
`--sysroot=/` to `ld`, so we need to configure binutils with support for
sysroots.

This takes up around 1100 MiB, and needs roughly 13 min on kepler.SCHWINGE and
53 min on coulomb.SCHWINGE.

<!--

    $ (make && touch .go-install) 2>&1 | tee log_build_ && test -f .go-install && (make install && touch .go-test) 2>&1 | tee log_install && test -f .go-test && make -k check 2>&1 | tee log_test

-->


## Analysis

x86 GNU/Linux' and GNU/Hurd's configurations are slightly different, thus mask
out most of the differences that are due to GNU/Linux supporting more core file
formats, and more emulation vectors.

    $ toolchain/logs/process binutils build


# Install

    $ make install 2>&1 | tee log_install
    [...]

This takes up around 170 MiB, and needs roughly 1 min on kepler.SCHWINGE and 3
min on coulomb.SCHWINGE.


## Analysis

    $ toolchain/logs/process binutils install

  * `libtool: finish`: `ldconfig` is not run for the Hurd.


# Testsuite

    $ make -k check 2>&1 | tee log_test
    [...]

This needs roughly 5 min on kepler.SCHWINGE and 37 min on coulomb.SCHWINGE.


## Analysis

    $ toolchain/logs/process binutils test

  * <a name="static"><!-- stable_URL -->`FAIL: static [...]`</a>

    The testsuite isn't prepared for using `crt0.o` instead of `crt1.o`
    depending on whether a static or dynamic executable is created.  Documented
    in `ld/configure.host`.  Perhaps we should finally rewrite this messy code
    in glibc?  Or, something similar to commit
    49cc20aa5c416ea4307931cccf6353247368187d `Add HOSTING_SCRT0 for PIE test`
    can be used.

    Same issue for `FAIL: Common symbol override ifunc *` ones?

  * <a name="64ksec">`FAIL: ld-elf/64ksec`</a>

    On the idle grubber, this one takes a few minutes wall time to complete
    successfully ([[I/O system
    weakness|performance/io_system/binutils_ld_64ksec]]), so assuming some
    system load variation, the testsuite's timeout may trigger.

  * <a name="weak"><!-- stable_URL -->`FAIL: ELF weak [...]`</a>

    [[I|tschwinge]] suppose this is due to us having an override w.r.t. weak
    symbol handling in glibc, needed for our external [[/libpthread]].  TODO:
    document properly.
    This has now been fixed (thus, we now get XPASSes), and the XFAILs can be
    removed.

  * `FAIL: gas/i386/rept` (intermittently)

    Added in commit 06f1247c54126b9f1e6acb8ff8c7be35aec6f44c (2012-06-07) as
    part of the fix for [[!sourceware_PR 14201]], renamed in commit
    d654e24bbc2f601df4dc43b26049b0339528b93a (2012-06-07):

        WARNING: program timed out.
        FAIL: gas/i386/rept

  * ld IFUNC execution tests

    Missing [[IFUNC]] support on GNU/Hurd.

    Added in commit 82c5587db078581cfe94a4385ed99de1d1fa6657 (2012-09-19):

        FAIL: Common symbol override ifunc test 1a
        FAIL: Common symbol override ifunc test 1b

  * gold GNU/Linux vs. GNU/Hurd

        -FAIL: relro_test.sh
        +PASS: relro_test.sh

        -PASS: ver_matching_test.sh
        +FAIL: ver_matching_test.sh

        -PASS: script_test_3
        +FAIL: script_test_3

        -PASS: tls_phdrs_script_test
        +FAIL: tls_phdrs_script_test