[RFC PATCH v1 2/5] tools/nolibc: x86-64: Use `rep stosb` for `memset()`

From: Ammar Faizi
Date: Wed Aug 30 2023 - 15:14:58 EST


Simplify memset() on the x86-64 arch.

The x86-64 arch has a 'rep stosb' instruction, which can perform
memset() using only a single instruction, given:

%al = value (just like the second argument of memset())
%rdi = destination
%rcx = length

Before this patch:
```
00000000000010c9 <memset>:
10c9: 48 89 f8 mov %rdi,%rax
10cc: 48 85 d2 test %rdx,%rdx
10cf: 74 0e je 10df <memset+0x16>
10d1: 31 c9 xor %ecx,%ecx
10d3: 40 88 34 08 mov %sil,(%rax,%rcx,1)
10d7: 48 ff c1 inc %rcx
10da: 48 39 ca cmp %rcx,%rdx
10dd: 75 f4 jne 10d3 <memset+0xa>
10df: c3 ret
```

After this patch:
```
00000000000010b1 <memset>:
10b1: 48 89 f0 mov %rsi,%rax
10b4: 48 89 d1 mov %rdx,%rcx
10b7: 48 89 fa mov %rdi,%rdx
10ba: f3 aa rep stos %al,%es:(%rdi)
10bc: 48 89 d0 mov %rdx,%rax
10bf: c3 ret
```

Signed-off-by: Ammar Faizi <ammarfaizi2@xxxxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/include/nolibc/arch-x86_64.h | 13 +++++++++++++
tools/include/nolibc/string.h | 2 ++
2 files changed, 15 insertions(+)

diff --git a/tools/include/nolibc/arch-x86_64.h b/tools/include/nolibc/arch-x86_64.h
index c5162170a2ccdff1..42f2674ad1ecdd64 100644
--- a/tools/include/nolibc/arch-x86_64.h
+++ b/tools/include/nolibc/arch-x86_64.h
@@ -179,6 +179,9 @@ void *memmove(void *dst, const void *src, size_t len);
#define NOLIBC_ARCH_HAS_MEMCPY
void *memcpy(void *dst, const void *src, size_t len);

+#define NOLIBC_ARCH_HAS_MEMSET
+void *memset(void *dst, int c, size_t len);
+
__asm__ (
".section .text.nolibc_memmove\n"
".weak memmove\n"
@@ -199,6 +202,16 @@ __asm__ (
"movq %rdx, %rcx\n"
"rep movsb\n"
"retq\n"
+
+".section .text.nolibc_memset\n"
+".weak memset\n"
+"memset:\n"
+ "movq %rsi, %rax\n"
+ "movq %rdx, %rcx\n"
+ "movq %rdi, %rdx\n"
+ "rep stosb\n"
+ "movq %rdx, %rax\n"
+ "retq\n"
);

#endif /* _NOLIBC_ARCH_X86_64_H */
diff --git a/tools/include/nolibc/string.h b/tools/include/nolibc/string.h
index 6eca267ec6fa7177..1bad6121ef8c4ab5 100644
--- a/tools/include/nolibc/string.h
+++ b/tools/include/nolibc/string.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ void *memcpy(void *dst, const void *src, size_t len)
}
#endif /* #ifndef NOLIBC_ARCH_HAS_MEMCPY */

+#ifndef NOLIBC_ARCH_HAS_MEMSET
/* might be ignored by the compiler without -ffreestanding, then found as
* missing.
*/
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ void *memset(void *dst, int b, size_t len)
}
return dst;
}
+#endif /* #ifndef NOLIBC_ARCH_HAS_MEMSET */

static __attribute__((unused))
char *strchr(const char *s, int c)
--
Ammar Faizi