Re: [PATCH v28 21/22] x86/vdso: Implement a vDSO for Intel SGX enclave call

[Jarkko Sakkinen]

On Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 03:53:22PM -0700, Sean Christopherson wrote:
> Yes and no.   If we wanted to minimize the amount of wrapping around the
> vDSO's ENCLU then we wouldn't have the exit handler shenanigans in the
> first place.  The whole process has been about balancing the wants of each
> use case against the overall quality of the API and code.

Minimizing is not something that happens in a void. Given the user base
for the SDK having the handler was a necessity. Otherwise, we would not
have that handler in the first place.

> Up until Nathaniel joined the party, the only stakeholder in terms of the
> exit handler was the Intel SDK.  There was a general consensus to pass
> registers as-is when there isn't a strong reason to do otherwise.  Note
> that Nathaniel has also expressed approval of that approach.

OK, great.

> The major benefits being that the vDSO would be callable from C and that
> the kernel could define a legitimate prototype instead of a frankenstein
> prototype that's half assembly and half C.  For me, those are significant

I was not aware that there was a plot to make it callable by C.

OK, so right now

A. @leaf =  %eax
B. @tcs = 8(%rsp)
C. @e = 0x10(%rsp)
D. @handler = 0x18(%rsp)

On x86-64 Linux C calling convention means DI/SI/DX/CX type of thing.

So what is the thing that we are referring to C calling convetion in
this email discussion?

> benefits and well worth the extra MOV, PUSH and POP.  For some use cases
> it would eliminate the need for an assembly wrapper.  For runtimes that
> need an assembly wrapper for whatever reason, it's probably still a win as
> a well designed runtime can avoid register shuffling in the wrapper.  And
> if there is a runtime that isn't covered by the above, it's at worst an
> extra MOV.

Is it cool if I rip of the documentation from vsgx_enter_enclave.S and
move it to Documentation/ ? It is nasty to keep and update it where it
is right now. How it is right now, it is destined to rotten.

/Jarkko