[PATCH] scripts: remove namespace.pl

From: Jacob Keller
Date: Fri Oct 09 2020 - 20:24:42 EST

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namespace.pl is intended to help locate symbols which are defined but
are not used externally. The goal is to avoid bloat of the namespace in
the resulting kernel image.

The script relies on object data, and only finds unused symbols for the
configuration used to generate that object data. This results in a lot
of false positive warnings such as symbols only used by a single
architecture, or symbols which are used externally only under certain
configurations.

Running namespace.pl using allyesconfig, allmodconfig, and
x86_64_defconfig yields the following results:

* allmodconfig
* 11122 unique symbol names with no external reference
* 1194 symbols listed as multiply defined
* 214 symbols it can't resolve
* allyesconfig
* 10997 unique symbol names with no external reference
* 1194 symbols listed as multiply defined
* 214 symbols it can't resolve
* x86_64_defconfig
* 5757 unique symbol names with no external reference
* 528 symbols listed as multiply defined
* 154 symbols it can't resolve

The script also has no way to easily limit the scope of the checks to
a given subset of the kernel, such as only checking for symbols defined
within a module or subsystem.

Discussion on public mailing lists seems to indicate that many view the
tool output as suspect or not very useful (see discussions at [1] and
[2] for further context).

As described by Masahiro Yamada at [2], namespace.pl provides 3 types of
checks: listing multiply defined symbols, resolving external symbols,
and warnings about symbols with no reference.

The first category of issues is easily caught by the linker as any set
of multiply defined symbols should fail to link. The second category of
issues is also caught by linking, as undefined symbols would cause
issues. Even with modules, these types of issues where a module relies
on an external symbol are caught by modpost.

The remaining category of issues reported is the list of symbols with no
external reference, and is the primary motivation of this script.
However, it ought to be clear from the above examples that the output is
difficult to sort through. Even allyesconfig has ~10000 entries.

The current submit-checklist indicates that patches ought to go through
namespacecheck and fix any new issues arising. But that itself presents
problems. As described at [1], many cases of reports are due to
configuration where a function is used externally by some configuration
settings. Prominent maintainers appear to dislike changes modify code
such that symbols become static based on CONFIG_* flags ([3], and [4])

One possible solution is to adjust the advice and indicate that we only
care about the output of namespacecheck on allyesconfig or allmodconfig
builds...

However, given the discussion at [2], I suspect that few people are
actively using this tool. It doesn't have a maintainer in the
MAINTAINERS flie, and it produces so many warnings for unused symbols
that it is difficult to use effectively. Thus, I propose we simply
remove it.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20200708164812.384ae8ea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
[2] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20190129204319.15238-1-jacob.e.keller@xxxxxxxxx/
[3] https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20190828.154744.2058157956381129672.davem@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/
[4] https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20190827210928.576c5fef@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/

Signed-off-by: Jacob Keller <jacob.e.keller@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Masahiro Yamada <yamada.masahiro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
Documentation/process/submit-checklist.rst | 3 +-
Makefile | 6 +-
scripts/namespace.pl | 473 ---------------------
3 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 480 deletions(-)
delete mode 100755 scripts/namespace.pl

diff --git a/Documentation/process/submit-checklist.rst b/Documentation/process/submit-checklist.rst
index 3f8e9d5d95c2..e201a6033469 100644
--- a/Documentation/process/submit-checklist.rst
+++ b/Documentation/process/submit-checklist.rst
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ and elsewhere regarding submitting Linux kernel patches.

9) Check cleanly with sparse.

-10) Use ``make checkstack`` and ``make namespacecheck`` and fix any problems
- that they find.
+10) Use ``make checkstack`` and fix any problems that it finds.

.. note::

diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f84d7e4ca0be..a1684a4035d1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1565,7 +1565,6 @@ help:
echo ''
@echo 'Static analysers:'
@echo ' checkstack - Generate a list of stack hogs'
- @echo ' namespacecheck - Name space analysis on compiled kernel'
@echo ' versioncheck - Sanity check on version.h usage'
@echo ' includecheck - Check for duplicate included header files'
@echo ' export_report - List the usages of all exported symbols'
@@ -1826,7 +1825,7 @@ nsdeps: modules
# Scripts to check various things for consistency
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-PHONY += includecheck versioncheck coccicheck namespacecheck export_report
+PHONY += includecheck versioncheck coccicheck export_report

includecheck:
find $(srctree)/* $(RCS_FIND_IGNORE) \
@@ -1841,9 +1840,6 @@ versioncheck:
coccicheck:
$(Q)$(BASH) $(srctree)/scripts/$@

-namespacecheck:
- $(PERL) $(srctree)/scripts/namespace.pl
-
export_report:
$(PERL) $(srctree)/scripts/export_report.pl

diff --git a/scripts/namespace.pl b/scripts/namespace.pl
deleted file mode 100755
index 1da7bca201a4..000000000000
--- a/scripts/namespace.pl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,473 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env perl
-#
-# namespace.pl. Mon Aug 30 2004
-#
-# Perform a name space analysis on the linux kernel.
-#
-# Copyright Keith Owens <kaos@xxxxxxxxxx>. GPL.
-#
-# Invoke by changing directory to the top of the kernel object
-# tree then namespace.pl, no parameters.
-#
-# Tuned for 2.1.x kernels with the new module handling, it will
-# work with 2.0 kernels as well.
-#
-# Last change 2.6.9-rc1, adding support for separate source and object
-# trees.
-#
-# The source must be compiled/assembled first, the object files
-# are the primary input to this script. Incomplete or missing
-# objects will result in a flawed analysis. Compile both vmlinux
-# and modules.
-#
-# Even with complete objects, treat the result of the analysis
-# with caution. Some external references are only used by
-# certain architectures, others with certain combinations of
-# configuration parameters. Ideally the source should include
-# something like
-#
-# #ifndef CONFIG_...
-# static
-# #endif
-# symbol_definition;
-#
-# so the symbols are defined as static unless a particular
-# CONFIG_... requires it to be external.
-#
-# A symbol that is suffixed with '(export only)' has these properties
-#
-# * It is global.
-# * It is marked EXPORT_SYMBOL or EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL, either in the same
-# source file or a different source file.
-# * Given the current .config, nothing uses the symbol.
-#
-# The symbol is a candidate for conversion to static, plus removal of the
-# export. But be careful that a different .config might use the symbol.
-#
-#
-# Name space analysis and cleanup is an iterative process. You cannot
-# expect to find all the problems in a single pass.
-#
-# * Identify possibly unnecessary global declarations, verify that they
-# really are unnecessary and change them to static.
-# * Compile and fix up gcc warnings about static, removing dead symbols
-# as necessary.
-# * make clean and rebuild with different configs (especially
-# CONFIG_MODULES=n) to see which symbols are being defined when the
-# config does not require them. These symbols bloat the kernel object
-# for no good reason, which is frustrating for embedded systems.
-# * Wrap config sensitive symbols in #ifdef CONFIG_foo, as long as the
-# code does not get too ugly.
-# * Repeat the name space analysis until you can live with with the
-# result.
-#
-
-use warnings;
-use strict;
-use File::Find;
-use File::Spec;
-
-my $nm = ($ENV{'NM'} || "nm") . " -p";
-my $objdump = ($ENV{'OBJDUMP'} || "objdump") . " -s -j .comment";
-my $srctree = File::Spec->curdir();
-my $objtree = File::Spec->curdir();
-$srctree = File::Spec->rel2abs($ENV{'srctree'}) if (exists($ENV{'srctree'}));
-$objtree = File::Spec->rel2abs($ENV{'objtree'}) if (exists($ENV{'objtree'}));
-
-if ($#ARGV != -1) {
- print STDERR "usage: $0 takes no parameters\n";
- die("giving up\n");
-}
-
-my %nmdata = (); # nm data for each object
-my %def = (); # all definitions for each name
-my %ksymtab = (); # names that appear in __ksymtab_
-my %ref = (); # $ref{$name} exists if there is a true external reference to $name
-my %export = (); # $export{$name} exists if there is an EXPORT_... of $name
-
-my %nmexception = (
- 'fs/ext3/bitmap' => 1,
- 'fs/ext4/bitmap' => 1,
- 'arch/x86/lib/thunk_32' => 1,
- 'arch/x86/lib/cmpxchg' => 1,
- 'arch/x86/vdso/vdso32/note' => 1,
- 'lib/irq_regs' => 1,
- 'usr/initramfs_data' => 1,
- 'drivers/scsi/aic94xx/aic94xx_dump' => 1,
- 'drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_dump' => 1,
- 'lib/dec_and_lock' => 1,
- 'drivers/ide/ide-probe-mini' => 1,
- 'usr/initramfs_data' => 1,
- 'drivers/acpi/acpia/exdump' => 1,
- 'drivers/acpi/acpia/rsdump' => 1,
- 'drivers/acpi/acpia/nsdumpdv' => 1,
- 'drivers/acpi/acpia/nsdump' => 1,
- 'arch/ia64/sn/kernel/sn2/io' => 1,
- 'arch/ia64/kernel/gate-data' => 1,
- 'security/capability' => 1,
- 'fs/ntfs/sysctl' => 1,
- 'fs/jfs/jfs_debug' => 1,
-);
-
-my %nameexception = (
- 'mod_use_count_' => 1,
- '__initramfs_end' => 1,
- '__initramfs_start' => 1,
- '_einittext' => 1,
- '_sinittext' => 1,
- 'kallsyms_names' => 1,
- 'kallsyms_num_syms' => 1,
- 'kallsyms_addresses'=> 1,
- 'kallsyms_offsets' => 1,
- 'kallsyms_relative_base'=> 1,
- '__this_module' => 1,
- '_etext' => 1,
- '_edata' => 1,
- '_end' => 1,
- '__bss_start' => 1,
- '_text' => 1,
- '_stext' => 1,
- '__gp' => 1,
- 'ia64_unw_start' => 1,
- 'ia64_unw_end' => 1,
- '__init_begin' => 1,
- '__init_end' => 1,
- '__bss_stop' => 1,
- '__nosave_begin' => 1,
- '__nosave_end' => 1,
- 'pg0' => 1,
- 'vdso_enabled' => 1,
- '__stack_chk_fail' => 1,
- 'VDSO32_PRELINK' => 1,
- 'VDSO32_vsyscall' => 1,
- 'VDSO32_rt_sigreturn'=>1,
- 'VDSO32_sigreturn' => 1,
-);
-
-
-&find(\&linux_objects, '.'); # find the objects and do_nm on them
-&list_multiply_defined();
-&resolve_external_references();
-&list_extra_externals();
-
-exit(0);
-
-sub linux_objects
-{
- # Select objects, ignoring objects which are only created by
- # merging other objects. Also ignore all of modules, scripts
- # and compressed. Most conglomerate objects are handled by do_nm,
- # this list only contains the special cases. These include objects
- # that are linked from just one other object and objects for which
- # there is really no permanent source file.
- my $basename = $_;
- $_ = $File::Find::name;
- s:^\./::;
- if (/.*\.o$/ &&
- ! (
- m:/built-in.a$:
- || m:arch/x86/vdso/:
- || m:arch/x86/boot/:
- || m:arch/ia64/ia32/ia32.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/kernel/gate-syms.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/lib/__divdi3.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/lib/__divsi3.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/lib/__moddi3.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/lib/__modsi3.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/lib/__udivdi3.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/lib/__udivsi3.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/lib/__umoddi3.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/lib/__umodsi3.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/scripts/check_gas_for_hint.o$:
- || m:arch/ia64/sn/kernel/xp.o$:
- || m:boot/bbootsect.o$:
- || m:boot/bsetup.o$:
- || m:/bootsect.o$:
- || m:/boot/setup.o$:
- || m:/compressed/:
- || m:drivers/cdrom/driver.o$:
- || m:drivers/char/drm/tdfx_drv.o$:
- || m:drivers/ide/ide-detect.o$:
- || m:drivers/ide/pci/idedriver-pci.o$:
- || m:drivers/media/media.o$:
- || m:drivers/scsi/sd_mod.o$:
- || m:drivers/video/video.o$:
- || m:fs/devpts/devpts.o$:
- || m:fs/exportfs/exportfs.o$:
- || m:fs/hugetlbfs/hugetlbfs.o$:
- || m:fs/msdos/msdos.o$:
- || m:fs/nls/nls.o$:
- || m:fs/ramfs/ramfs.o$:
- || m:fs/romfs/romfs.o$:
- || m:fs/vfat/vfat.o$:
- || m:init/mounts.o$:
- || m:^modules/:
- || m:net/netlink/netlink.o$:
- || m:net/sched/sched.o$:
- || m:/piggy.o$:
- || m:^scripts/:
- || m:sound/.*/snd-:
- || m:^.*/\.tmp_:
- || m:^\.tmp_:
- || m:/vmlinux-obj.o$:
- || m:^tools/:
- )
- ) {
- do_nm($basename, $_);
- }
- $_ = $basename; # File::Find expects $_ untouched (undocumented)
-}
-
-sub do_nm
-{
- my ($basename, $fullname) = @_;
- my ($source, $type, $name);
- if (! -e $basename) {
- printf STDERR "$basename does not exist\n";
- return;
- }
- if ($fullname !~ /\.o$/) {
- printf STDERR "$fullname is not an object file\n";
- return;
- }
- ($source = $basename) =~ s/\.o$//;
- if (-e "$source.c" || -e "$source.S") {
- $source = File::Spec->catfile($objtree, $File::Find::dir, $source)
- } else {
- $source = File::Spec->catfile($srctree, $File::Find::dir, $source)
- }
- if (! -e "$source.c" && ! -e "$source.S") {
- # No obvious source, exclude the object if it is conglomerate
- open(my $objdumpdata, "$objdump $basename|")
- or die "$objdump $fullname failed $!\n";
-
- my $comment;
- while (<$objdumpdata>) {
- chomp();
- if (/^In archive/) {
- # Archives are always conglomerate
- $comment = "GCC:GCC:";
- last;
- }
- next if (! /^[ 0-9a-f]{5,} /);
- $comment .= substr($_, 43);
- }
- close($objdumpdata);
-
- if (!defined($comment) || $comment !~ /GCC\:.*GCC\:/m) {
- printf STDERR "No source file found for $fullname\n";
- }
- return;
- }
- open (my $nmdata, "$nm $basename|")
- or die "$nm $fullname failed $!\n";
-
- my @nmdata;
- while (<$nmdata>) {
- chop;
- ($type, $name) = (split(/ +/, $_, 3))[1..2];
- # Expected types
- # A absolute symbol
- # B weak external reference to data that has been resolved
- # C global variable, uninitialised
- # D global variable, initialised
- # G global variable, initialised, small data section
- # R global array, initialised
- # S global variable, uninitialised, small bss
- # T global label/procedure
- # U external reference
- # W weak external reference to text that has been resolved
- # V similar to W, but the value of the weak symbol becomes zero with no error.
- # a assembler equate
- # b static variable, uninitialised
- # d static variable, initialised
- # g static variable, initialised, small data section
- # r static array, initialised
- # s static variable, uninitialised, small bss
- # t static label/procedures
- # w weak external reference to text that has not been resolved
- # v similar to w
- # ? undefined type, used a lot by modules
- if ($type !~ /^[ABCDGRSTUWVabdgrstwv?]$/) {
- printf STDERR "nm output for $fullname contains unknown type '$_'\n";
- }
- elsif ($name =~ /\./) {
- # name with '.' is local static
- }
- else {
- $type = 'R' if ($type eq '?'); # binutils replaced ? with R at one point
- # binutils keeps changing the type for exported symbols, force it to R
- $type = 'R' if ($name =~ /^__ksymtab/ || $name =~ /^__kstrtab/);
- $name =~ s/_R[a-f0-9]{8}$//; # module versions adds this
- if ($type =~ /[ABCDGRSTWV]/ &&
- $name ne 'init_module' &&
- $name ne 'cleanup_module' &&
- $name ne 'Using_Versions' &&
- $name !~ /^Version_[0-9]+$/ &&
- $name !~ /^__parm_/ &&
- $name !~ /^__kstrtab/ &&
- $name !~ /^__ksymtab/ &&
- $name !~ /^__kcrctab_/ &&
- $name !~ /^__exitcall_/ &&
- $name !~ /^__initcall_/ &&
- $name !~ /^__kdb_initcall_/ &&
- $name !~ /^__kdb_exitcall_/ &&
- $name !~ /^__module_/ &&
- $name !~ /^__mod_/ &&
- $name !~ /^__crc_/ &&
- $name ne '__this_module' &&
- $name ne 'kernel_version') {
- if (!exists($def{$name})) {
- $def{$name} = [];
- }
- push(@{$def{$name}}, $fullname);
- }
- push(@nmdata, "$type $name");
- if ($name =~ /^__ksymtab_/) {
- $name = substr($name, 10);
- if (!exists($ksymtab{$name})) {
- $ksymtab{$name} = [];
- }
- push(@{$ksymtab{$name}}, $fullname);
- }
- }
- }
- close($nmdata);
-
- if ($#nmdata < 0) {
- printf "No nm data for $fullname\n"
- unless $nmexception{$fullname};
- return;
- }
- $nmdata{$fullname} = \@nmdata;
-}
-
-sub drop_def
-{
- my ($object, $name) = @_;
- my $nmdata = $nmdata{$object};
- my ($i, $j);
- for ($i = 0; $i <= $#{$nmdata}; ++$i) {
- if ($name eq (split(' ', $nmdata->[$i], 2))[1]) {
- splice(@{$nmdata{$object}}, $i, 1);
- my $def = $def{$name};
- for ($j = 0; $j < $#{$def{$name}}; ++$j) {
- if ($def{$name}[$j] eq $object) {
- splice(@{$def{$name}}, $j, 1);
- }
- }
- last;
- }
- }
-}
-
-sub list_multiply_defined
-{
- foreach my $name (keys(%def)) {
- if ($#{$def{$name}} > 0) {
- # Special case for cond_syscall
- if ($#{$def{$name}} == 1 &&
- ($name =~ /^sys_/ || $name =~ /^compat_sys_/ ||
- $name =~ /^sys32_/)) {
- if($def{$name}[0] eq "kernel/sys_ni.o" ||
- $def{$name}[1] eq "kernel/sys_ni.o") {
- &drop_def("kernel/sys_ni.o", $name);
- next;
- }
- }
-
- printf "$name is multiply defined in :-\n";
- foreach my $module (@{$def{$name}}) {
- printf "\t$module\n";
- }
- }
- }
-}
-
-sub resolve_external_references
-{
- my ($kstrtab, $ksymtab, $export);
-
- printf "\n";
- foreach my $object (keys(%nmdata)) {
- my $nmdata = $nmdata{$object};
- for (my $i = 0; $i <= $#{$nmdata}; ++$i) {
- my ($type, $name) = split(' ', $nmdata->[$i], 2);
- if ($type eq "U" || $type eq "w") {
- if (exists($def{$name}) || exists($ksymtab{$name})) {
- # add the owning object to the nmdata
- $nmdata->[$i] = "$type $name $object";
- # only count as a reference if it is not EXPORT_...
- $kstrtab = "R __kstrtab_$name";
- $ksymtab = "R __ksymtab_$name";
- $export = 0;
- for (my $j = 0; $j <= $#{$nmdata}; ++$j) {
- if ($nmdata->[$j] eq $kstrtab ||
- $nmdata->[$j] eq $ksymtab) {
- $export = 1;
- last;
- }
- }
- if ($export) {
- $export{$name} = "";
- }
- else {
- $ref{$name} = ""
- }
- }
- elsif ( ! $nameexception{$name}
- && $name !~ /^__sched_text_/
- && $name !~ /^__start_/
- && $name !~ /^__end_/
- && $name !~ /^__stop_/
- && $name !~ /^__scheduling_functions_.*_here/
- && $name !~ /^__.*initcall_/
- && $name !~ /^__.*per_cpu_start/
- && $name !~ /^__.*per_cpu_end/
- && $name !~ /^__alt_instructions/
- && $name !~ /^__setup_/
- && $name !~ /^__mod_timer/
- && $name !~ /^__mod_page_state/
- && $name !~ /^init_module/
- && $name !~ /^cleanup_module/
- ) {
- printf "Cannot resolve ";
- printf "weak " if ($type eq "w");
- printf "reference to $name from $object\n";
- }
- }
- }
- }
-}
-
-sub list_extra_externals
-{
- my %noref = ();
-
- foreach my $name (keys(%def)) {
- if (! exists($ref{$name})) {
- my @module = @{$def{$name}};
- foreach my $module (@module) {
- if (! exists($noref{$module})) {
- $noref{$module} = [];
- }
- push(@{$noref{$module}}, $name);
- }
- }
- }
- if (%noref) {
- printf "\nExternally defined symbols with no external references\n";
- foreach my $module (sort(keys(%noref))) {
- printf " $module\n";
- foreach (sort(@{$noref{$module}})) {
- my $export;
- if (exists($export{$_})) {
- $export = " (export only)";
- } else {
- $export = "";
- }
- printf " $_$export\n";
- }
- }
- }
-}

base-commit: 3fdd47c3b40ac48e6e6e5904cf24d12e6e073a96
--
2.28.0.497.g54e85e7af1ac

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