Re: [PATCH] kexec_file: Drop weak attribute from arch_kexec_apply_relocations[_add]

From: Naveen N. Rao
Date: Thu May 19 2022 - 05:13:58 EST


Andrew Morton wrote:
On Wed, 18 May 2022 23:48:28 +0530 "Naveen N. Rao" <naveen.n.rao@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Since commit d1bcae833b32f1 ("ELF: Don't generate unused section
symbols") [1], binutils (v2.36+) started dropping section symbols that
it thought were unused. This isn't an issue in general, but with
kexec_file.c, gcc is placing kexec_arch_apply_relocations[_add] into a
separate .text.unlikely section and the section symbol ".text.unlikely"
is being dropped. Due to this, recordmcount is unable to find a non-weak
symbol in .text.unlikely to generate a relocation record against.

Address this by dropping the weak attribute from these functions:
- arch_kexec_apply_relocations() is not overridden by any architecture
today, so just drop the weak attribute.
- arch_kexec_apply_relocations_add() is only overridden by x86 and s390.
Retain the function prototype for those and move the weak
implementation into the header as a static inline for other
architectures.

...


Sigh. This patch demonstrates why I like __weak :<

--- a/include/linux/kexec.h
+++ b/include/linux/kexec.h
@@ -229,6 +225,30 @@ extern int crash_exclude_mem_range(struct crash_mem *mem,
unsigned long long mend);
extern int crash_prepare_elf64_headers(struct crash_mem *mem, int kernel_map,
void **addr, unsigned long *sz);
+
+#if defined(CONFIG_X86_64) || defined(CONFIG_S390)

Let's avoid listing the architectures here? Better to add

select ARCH_HAVE_ARCH_KEXEC_APPLY_RELOCATIONS_ADD

to arch/<arch>/Kconfig?

I followed the approach used in commit 6e7b64b9dd6d96 ("elfcore: fix building with clang") since here again, it was overridden on only two architectures. I also wanted to avoid touching the architecture headers so as to make it simpler to backport.

But, as Michael points out, using a #ifdef isn't too much of a change either. I also confirmed that those changes still apply cleanly all the way back to v5.10. I've posted a v2 which takes this approach.


Please cc me on any additional work on this.

I've copied you on the v2 patch. Thanks!


- Naveen