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authorThomas Schwinge <thomas@schwinge.name>2010-11-17 21:29:41 +0100
committerThomas Schwinge <thomas@schwinge.name>2010-11-17 21:42:14 +0100
commitfcf0789a3dacb56ffa959ece42d31ef627049002 (patch)
tree24c9b77f600327fc656993a68da08fe13052c79d /open_issues/boehm_gc.mdwn
parenta669898accf620b11c6e2e123138e3f166eeebdb (diff)
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+[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc."]]
+
+[[!meta license="""[[!toggle id="license" text="GFDL 1.2+"]][[!toggleable
+id="license" text="Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
+document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or
+any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant
+Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license
+is included in the section entitled [[GNU Free Documentation
+License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
+
+Here's what's to be done for maintaining Boehm GC.
+
+This one does need Hurd-specific configuration.
+
+It is, for example, used by [[/GCC]] (which has its own fork), so any changes
+committed upstream should very like also be made there.
+
+
+# [[General information|/boehm_gc]]
+
+
+# [[Sources|source_repositories/boehm_gc]]
+
+
+# Configuration
+
+[[tschwinge]] reviewed its GNU/Hurd port's configuration on 2010-11-10, based
+on CVS HEAD sources from 2010-11-16, converted to Git:
+9abb37b2e581b415bb1f482085891a289c2c0be1.
+
+ * `configure.ac`
+
+ * `PARALLEL_MARK` is not enabled; doesn't make sense so far.
+
+ * `*-*-kfreebsd*-gnu` defines `USE_COMPILER_TLS`. What's this, and
+ why does not other config?
+
+ * TODO
+
+ [ if test "$enable_gc_debug" = "yes"; then
+ AC_MSG_WARN("Should define GC_DEBUG and use debug alloc. in clients.")
+ AC_DEFINE([KEEP_BACK_PTRS], 1,
+ [Define to save back-pointers in debugging headers.])
+ keep_back_ptrs=true
+ AC_DEFINE([DBG_HDRS_ALL], 1,
+ [Define to force debug headers on all objects.])
+ case $host in
+ x86-*-linux* | i586-*-linux* | i686-*-linux* | x86_64-*-linux* )
+ AC_DEFINE(MAKE_BACK_GRAPH)
+ AC_MSG_WARN("Client must not use -fomit-frame-pointer.")
+ AC_DEFINE(SAVE_CALL_COUNT, 8)
+ ;;
+ AM_CONDITIONAL([KEEP_BACK_PTRS], [test x"$keep_back_ptrs" = xtrue])
+
+ * `configure.host`
+
+ Nothing.
+
+ * `Makefile.am`, `include/include.am`, `cord/cord.am`, `doc/doc.am`,
+ `tests/tests.am`
+
+ Nothing.
+
+ * `include/gc_config_macros.h`
+
+ Should be OK.
+
+ * `include/private/gcconfig.h`
+
+ Hairy. But should be OK. Search for *HURD*, compare to *LINUX*,
+ *I386* case.
+
+ See `doc/porting.html` and `doc/README.macros` (and others) for
+ documentation.
+
+ *LINUX* has:
+
+ * `#define LINUX_STACKBOTTOM`
+
+ Defined instead of `STACKBOTTOM` to have the value read from `/proc/`.
+
+ * `#define HEAP_START (ptr_t)0x1000`
+
+ May want to define it for us, too?
+
+ * `#ifdef USE_I686_PREFETCH`, `USE_3DNOW_PREFETCH` --- [...]
+
+ Apparently these are optimization that we also could use. Have a
+ look at *LINUX* for *X86_64*, which uses `__builtin_prefetch`
+ (which Linux x86 could use, too?).
+
+ * TODO
+
+ #if defined(LINUX) && defined(USE_MMAP)
+ /* The kernel may do a somewhat better job merging mappings etc. */
+ /* with anonymous mappings. */
+ # define USE_MMAP_ANON
+ #endif
+
+ * TODO
+
+ #if defined(GC_LINUX_THREADS) && defined(REDIRECT_MALLOC)
+ /* Nptl allocates thread stacks with mmap, which is fine. But it */
+ /* keeps a cache of thread stacks. Thread stacks contain the */
+ /* thread control blocks. These in turn contain a pointer to */
+ /* (sizeof (void *) from the beginning of) the dtv for thread-local */
+ /* storage, which is calloc allocated. If we don't scan the cached */
+ /* thread stacks, we appear to lose the dtv. This tends to */
+ /* result in something that looks like a bogus dtv count, which */
+ /* tends to result in a memset call on a block that is way too */
+ /* large. Sometimes we're lucky and the process just dies ... */
+ /* There seems to be a similar issue with some other memory */
+ /* allocated by the dynamic loader. */
+ /* This should be avoidable by either: */
+ /* - Defining USE_PROC_FOR_LIBRARIES here. */
+ /* That performs very poorly, precisely because we end up */
+ /* scanning cached stacks. */
+ /* - Have calloc look at its callers. */
+ /* In spite of the fact that it is gross and disgusting. */
+ /* In fact neither seems to suffice, probably in part because */
+ /* even with USE_PROC_FOR_LIBRARIES, we don't scan parts of stack */
+ /* segments that appear to be out of bounds. Thus we actually */
+ /* do both, which seems to yield the best results. */
+
+ # define USE_PROC_FOR_LIBRARIES
+ #endif
+
+ * TODO
+
+ # if defined(GC_LINUX_THREADS) && defined(REDIRECT_MALLOC) \
+ && !defined(INCLUDE_LINUX_THREAD_DESCR)
+ /* Will not work, since libc and the dynamic loader use thread */
+ /* locals, sometimes as the only reference. */
+ # define INCLUDE_LINUX_THREAD_DESCR
+ # endif
+
+ * TODO
+
+ # if defined(UNIX_LIKE) && defined(THREADS) && !defined(NO_CANCEL_SAFE) \
+ && !defined(PLATFORM_ANDROID)
+ /* Make the code cancellation-safe. This basically means that we */
+ /* ensure that cancellation requests are ignored while we are in */
+ /* the collector. This applies only to Posix deferred cancellation;*/
+ /* we don't handle Posix asynchronous cancellation. */
+ /* Note that this only works if pthread_setcancelstate is */
+ /* async-signal-safe, at least in the absence of asynchronous */
+ /* cancellation. This appears to be true for the glibc version, */
+ /* though it is not documented. Without that assumption, there */
+ /* seems to be no way to safely wait in a signal handler, which */
+ /* we need to do for thread suspension. */
+ /* Also note that little other code appears to be cancellation-safe.*/
+ /* Hence it may make sense to turn this off for performance. */
+ # define CANCEL_SAFE
+ # endif
+
+ * `CAN_SAVE_CALL_ARGS` vs. -fomit-frame-pointer now being on by
+ default for Linux x86 IIRC? (Which is an [[!taglink
+ open_issue_gcc]] for not including us.)
+
+ * TODO
+
+ # if defined(REDIRECT_MALLOC) && defined(THREADS) && !defined(LINUX)
+ # error "REDIRECT_MALLOC with THREADS works at most on Linux."
+ # endif
+
+
+ *HURD* has:
+
+ * `#define STACK_GROWS_DOWN`
+
+ * `#define HEURISTIC2`
+
+ Defined instead of `STACKBOTTOM` to have the value probed.
+
+ Linux also has this:
+
+ #if defined(LINUX_STACKBOTTOM) && defined(NO_PROC_STAT) \
+ && !defined(USE_LIBC_PRIVATES)
+ /* This combination will fail, since we have no way to get */
+ /* the stack base. Use HEURISTIC2 instead. */
+ # undef LINUX_STACKBOTTOM
+ # define HEURISTIC2
+ /* This may still fail on some architectures like IA64. */
+ /* We tried ... */
+ #endif
+
+ Being on [[glibc]], we could perhaps do similar as `USE_LIBC_PRIVATES`
+ instead of `HEURISTIC2`. Pro: avoid `SIGSEGV` (and general fragility)
+ during probing at startup (if I'm understanding this correctly). Con:
+ rely on glibc internals. Or we instead add support to parse
+ [[`/proc/`|hurd/translator/procfs]] (can even use the same as Linux?),
+ or use some other interface. [[!tag open_issue_glibc]]
+
+ * `#define SIG_SUSPEND SIGUSR1`, `#define SIG_THR_RESTART SIGUSR2`
+
+ * We don't `#define MPROTECT_VDB` (WIP comment); but Linux neither.
+
+ * Where does our `GETPAGESIZE` come from? Should we `#include
+ <unistd.h>` like it is done for *LINUX*?
+
+ * `include/gc_pthread_redirects.h`
+
+ * TODO
+
+ Cancellation stuff is Linux-only. In other places, too.
+
+ * `mach_dep.c`
+
+ * `#define NO_GETCONTEXT`
+
+ [[!taglink open_issue_glibc]], but this is not a real problem here,
+ because we can use the following GCC internal function without much
+ overhead:
+
+ * `GC_with_callee_saves_pushed`
+
+ The `HAVE_BUILTIN_UNWIND_INIT` case is ours.
+
+ * `os_dep.c`
+
+ * `read`
+
+ Sure that it doesn't internally (in [[glibc]]) use `malloc`. Probably
+ only / mostly (?) a problem for `--enable-redirect-malloc`
+ configurations? Linux with threads uses `readv`.
+
+ * TODO.
+
+ * `dyn_load.c`
+
+ For `DYNAMIC_LOADING`. TODO.
+
+ * `pthread_support.c`, `pthread_stop_world.c`
+
+ TODO.
+
+ * TODO.
+
+ Other files also contain *LINUX* and other conditionals.
+
+ * `libatomic_ops/`
+
+ * `configure.ac`
+
+ Nothing.
+
+ * `Makefile`, `src/Makefile`, `src/atomic_ops/Makefile`,
+ `src/atomic_ops/sysdeps/Makefile`, `doc/Makefile`, `tests/Makefile`
+
+ Nothing.
+
+ * `src/atomic_ops/sysdeps/gcc/x86.h`
+
+ Nothing.
+
+
+# Testsuite
+
+There are different configurations possible, but in general, the testsuite
+restults of GNU/Linux and GNU/Hurd look very similar.
+
+## `--enable-cplusplus --enable-gc-debug`
+
+ * GNU/Hurd is missing *Call chain at allocation: [...] output*.
+
+ `os_dep.c`:`GC_print_callers`
+
+
+# TODO
+
+ * Port stuff to [[/GCC]] / [[test it there|gcc/testsuite]].
+
+ * What are other applications to test Boehm GC? Also especially in
+ combination with [[/libpthread]] and dynamic loading of shared libraries?
+
+ * <http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Hans_Boehm/gc/#users>