[PATCH] Add CONFIG for -mregparm=3

From: Andi Kleen
Date: Wed Jan 14 2004 - 04:10:11 EST



Using -mregparm=3 shrinks the kernel further:

(compiled with gcc 3.4, without -funit-at-a-time, using the later
and together with -Os shrinks .text even more, making over 700KB difference)

4129346 708629 207240 5045215 4cfbdf vmlinux
3892905 708629 207240 4808774 496046 vmlinux-regparm

This one helps even more, >236KB .text difference. Clearly worth
the effort.

This patch adds an option to use -mregparm=3 while compiling the kernel.
I did an LTP run and it showed no additional failures over an non
regparm kernel.

According to some gcc developers it should be safe to use in all
gccs that are still supports (2.95 and up)

I didn't make it the default because it will break all binary only
modules (although they can be fixed by adding a wrapper that
calls them with "asmlinkage"). Actually it may be a good idea to
make this default with 2.7.1 or somesuch.

diff -u linux-34/arch/i386/Kconfig-o linux-34/arch/i386/Kconfig
--- linux-34/arch/i386/Kconfig-o 2004-01-09 09:27:09.000000000 +0100
+++ linux-34/arch/i386/Kconfig 2004-01-14 08:43:29.815530072 +0100
@@ -820,6 +820,14 @@
depends on (((X86_SUMMIT || X86_GENERICARCH) && NUMA) || (X86 && EFI))
default y

+config REGPARM
+ bool "Use register arguments (EXPERIMENTAL)"
+ default n
+ help
+ Compile the kernel with -mregparm=3. This uses an different ABI
+ and passes the first three arguments of a function call in registers.
+ This will probably break binary only modules.
+
endmenu


diff -u linux-34/arch/i386/Makefile-o linux-34/arch/i386/Makefile
--- linux-34/arch/i386/Makefile-o 2003-09-28 10:53:14.000000000 +0200
+++ linux-34/arch/i386/Makefile 2004-01-13 20:16:32.000000000 +0100
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@
cflags-$(CONFIG_MCYRIXIII) += $(call check_gcc,-march=c3,-march=i486) $(align)-functions=0 $(align)-jumps=0 $(align)-loops=0
cflags-$(CONFIG_MVIAC3_2) += $(call check_gcc,-march=c3-2,-march=i686)

+cflags-$(CONFIG_REGPARM) += -mregparm=3
+
CFLAGS += $(cflags-y)

# Default subarch .c files



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