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== Current status == | == Current status == | ||
* Targeted release: [[Releases/ | * Targeted release: [[Releases/23 | Fedora 23]] | ||
* Last updated: | * Last updated: 2015-01-19 | ||
* Tracker bug: <!-- will be assigned by the Wrangler --> | * Tracker bug: <!-- will be assigned by the Wrangler --> | ||
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* Enable position-independent executables (PIE) by default for all applications, using <code>-fpie -pie</code>. | * Enable position-independent executables (PIE) by default for all applications, using <code>-fpie -pie</code>. | ||
* Switch to SSE 2 for floating-point calculations, using <code>-msse2 -mfpmath=sse</code>. | * Switch to SSE 2 for floating-point calculations, using <code>-msse2 -mfpmath=sse</code>. | ||
* Make <code>off_t</code> and <code>ino_t</code> 64 bit by default (even on 32-bit architectures) | |||
[https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-patches/2014-12/msg00445.html Copy relocations support in GCC] and binutils makes the performance on x86_64 of PIE literally zero for many programs. | [https://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc-patches/2014-12/msg00445.html Copy relocations support in GCC] and binutils makes the performance on x86_64 of PIE literally zero for many programs. | ||
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* [http://lua-users.org/lists/lua-l/2010-06/msg00329.html LuaJIT] | * [http://lua-users.org/lists/lua-l/2010-06/msg00329.html LuaJIT] | ||
* [http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lang.caml.general/48421 Ocaml] | * [http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lang.caml.general/48421 Ocaml] | ||
64 bit inode values in file systems are increasingly 64 bit by default, and using a 32-bit <code>ino_t</code> type introduces spurious failures, even for programs which have not explicitly enabled 64-bit file system interfaces because they deemed that unnecessary considering their typical input file sizes. Several libraries use <code>off_t</code> in public headers, which currently leads to ABI bugs because this type can have different definitions depending on whether Large File Support is enabled or not. | |||
== Scope == | == Scope == | ||
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SSE 2 support will be exercised during regular installation testing. | SSE 2 support will be exercised during regular installation testing. | ||
64-bit <code>ino_t</code>/<code>off_t</code> can be validated to some extent by checking for references to 32-bit interfaces such as <code>fstat</code>. | |||
== User Experience == | == User Experience == | ||
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== Dependencies == | == Dependencies == | ||
This change depends on GCC 5 | This change depends on GCC 5 and binutils 2.26. | ||
== Contingency Plan == | == Contingency Plan == | ||
* Contingency mechanism: If binutils 2. | * Contingency mechanism: If binutils 2.26 does not make it into Fedora 23, the copy-relocations optimization can be dropped. | ||
* Contingency deadline: before the last mass rebuild | * Contingency deadline: before the last mass rebuild | ||
* Blocks release? No. | * Blocks release? No. | ||
Latest revision as of 12:31, 19 January 2015
Modernise GCC Flags
Summary
Update the default GCC flags to reflect current architecture requirements and compiler capabilities.
Owner
- Name: Florian Weimer
- Email: fweimer@redhat.com
- Release notes owner:
Current status
- Targeted release: Fedora 23
- Last updated: 2015-01-19
- Tracker bug:
Detailed Description
The following changes are propsoed.
- Enable position-independent executables (PIE) by default for all applications, using
-fpie -pie. - Switch to SSE 2 for floating-point calculations, using
-msse2 -mfpmath=sse. - Make
off_tandino_t64 bit by default (even on 32-bit architectures)
Copy relocations support in GCC and binutils makes the performance on x86_64 of PIE literally zero for many programs.
SSE 2 was introduced in 2000, almost 15 years ago, and all current IA-32 implementations known to the proponent (which meet Fedora's other requirements, such as support for atomic instructions) support it.
Benefit to Fedora
PIE-by-default provides better address-space randomization (ASLR).
SSE 2 slightly increases performance of floating-point heavy code.
SSE 2 support brings simplifications to code generators, and many upstreams have expressed a desire to deprecate i387 support:
64 bit inode values in file systems are increasingly 64 bit by default, and using a 32-bit ino_t type introduces spurious failures, even for programs which have not explicitly enabled 64-bit file system interfaces because they deemed that unnecessary considering their typical input file sizes. Several libraries use off_t in public headers, which currently leads to ABI bugs because this type can have different definitions depending on whether Large File Support is enabled or not.
Scope
- Proposal owners: If this proposal is accepted, a patch for
redhat-rpm-configwill have to be written.
- Other developers:
redhat-rpm-configneeds to be updated accordingly. Some tools which do not recognize PIE binaries (such as Nautilus, see [bug 737849]) will have to be fixed.
- Release engineering: This change requires a mass rebuild with new binutils and GCC 5.0.
- Policies and guidelines: Packages which follow the guidelines will automatically inherit the flags from
redhat-rpm-config.
Upgrade/compatibility impact
Hardware which does not support SSE 2 will not be able to run Fedora binaries. For current hardware, the update will be transparent.
How To Test
PIE support is visible using file. It will display (among other things)
ELF 32-bit LSB shared object
instead of:
ELF 32-bit LSB executable
SSE 2 support will be exercised during regular installation testing.
64-bit ino_t/off_t can be validated to some extent by checking for references to 32-bit interfaces such as fstat.
User Experience
Ideally, users will not observe any change.
Dependencies
This change depends on GCC 5 and binutils 2.26.
Contingency Plan
- Contingency mechanism: If binutils 2.26 does not make it into Fedora 23, the copy-relocations optimization can be dropped.
- Contingency deadline: before the last mass rebuild
- Blocks release? No.
- Blocks product? No.
Documentation
From an upstream perspective, these changes are very minor, so there is no extensive documentation.
- Copy relocations support in GCC (spread across many months)
- Copy relocations support in binutils
- GCC documentation for target code generation flags
Release Notes
- Natively-compiled Fedora programs are now position-independent executables by default. This provides better address space randomization (ASLR) and therefore improved security hardening.
- Fedora for i386 now requires a CPU with SSE 2 support.