[PATCH v1] arm: relocate: Replace ADR instruction with non-pseudo-instruction

In Binutils 2.37 the ADR instruction has changed use alternate instructions.
The change causes armv7-m to not boot.
Signed-off-by: Jesse Taube Mr.Bossman075@gmail.com --- arch/arm/lib/relocate.S | 8 +++++++- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..22c419534f 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code) - adr r3, relocate_code +/* + * Binutils doesn't comply with the arm docs for adr in thumb2 + * from commit d3e52e120b68bf19552743fbc078e0a759f48cb7 onward + * to remove ambiguity explicitly define the pseudo-instruction + */ + mov r3, pc + subs r3, #4 ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */

On Sun, Jul 10, 2022 at 03:09:53AM -0400, Jesse Taube wrote:
In Binutils 2.37 the ADR instruction has changed use alternate instructions.
The change causes armv7-m to not boot.
Signed-off-by: Jesse Taube Mr.Bossman075@gmail.com
arch/arm/lib/relocate.S | 8 +++++++- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..22c419534f 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code)
- adr r3, relocate_code
+/*
- Binutils doesn't comply with the arm docs for adr in thumb2
- from commit d3e52e120b68bf19552743fbc078e0a759f48cb7 onward
- to remove ambiguity explicitly define the pseudo-instruction
- */
- mov r3, pc
- subs r3, #4 ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */
Thanks for posting this. I'm hoping that perhaps one of our Arm folks can review this. Aside from whitespace (which can be fixed up easily), this looks good and it's good to have a comment explaining why.

On Sun, 10 Jul 2022 03:09:53 -0400 Jesse Taube mr.bossman075@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Jesse,
In Binutils 2.37 the ADR instruction has changed use alternate instructions.
Can you elaborate on this? What has changed exactly, and why? Looking at the commit you mention below I don't see an immediate problem that would require code changes? Also it speaks of forward references, but this one is not one? And I didn't spot any difference between 2.38 and 2.35, at least not in my isolated test (but I didn't bother to compile a whole stage 1 GCC with newer binutils yet).
The change causes armv7-m to not boot.
What does "causes armv7-m to not boot" mean? It compiles fine, but hangs or crashes? Can you show the relevant disassembly from both binutils versions?
And from trying to reproduce this minimally, do we need a ".syntax unified" in the .S file?
Signed-off-by: Jesse Taube Mr.Bossman075@gmail.com
arch/arm/lib/relocate.S | 8 +++++++- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..22c419534f 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code)
- adr r3, relocate_code
+/*
- Binutils doesn't comply with the arm docs for adr in thumb2
- from commit d3e52e120b68bf19552743fbc078e0a759f48cb7 onward
- to remove ambiguity explicitly define the pseudo-instruction
- */
- mov r3, pc
- subs r3, #4
But this will break ARM, won't it? Because it would require to subtract #8? I mean there is a reason for this adr instruction, because this offset calculation is best left to the assembler. Not to speak of the fragility of assuming that the relocate_code label is pointing to the very first instruction. The ENTRY macro could also insert instructions.
Cheers, Andre
ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */

On Mon, Jul 11, 2022 at 01:57:40PM +0100, Andre Przywara wrote:
On Sun, 10 Jul 2022 03:09:53 -0400 Jesse Taube mr.bossman075@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Jesse,
In Binutils 2.37 the ADR instruction has changed use alternate instructions.
Can you elaborate on this? What has changed exactly, and why? Looking at the commit you mention below I don't see an immediate problem that would require code changes? Also it speaks of forward references, but this one is not one? And I didn't spot any difference between 2.38 and 2.35, at least not in my isolated test (but I didn't bother to compile a whole stage 1 GCC with newer binutils yet).
Some further references Jesse provided off-list:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/59110205/why-do-forward-reference-adr-in...
https://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-binutils/2019-11/msg00187.html
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=25235

On Mon, 11 Jul 2022 13:57:40 +0100 Andre Przywara andre.przywara@arm.com wrote:
Hi,
On Sun, 10 Jul 2022 03:09:53 -0400 Jesse Taube mr.bossman075@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Jesse,
In Binutils 2.37 the ADR instruction has changed use alternate instructions.
Can you elaborate on this? What has changed exactly, and why? Looking at the commit you mention below I don't see an immediate problem that would require code changes? Also it speaks of forward references, but this one is not one? And I didn't spot any difference between 2.38 and 2.35, at least not in my isolated test (but I didn't bother to compile a whole stage 1 GCC with newer binutils yet).
OK, so digging a bit deeper I think I have an idea: With as 2.35 I get: 080007cc <relocate_code>: 80007cc: f2af 0304 subw r3, pc, #4
whereas with 2.38 it's: 080007cc <relocate_code>: 80007cc: f2af 0303 subw r3, pc, #3
the latter looks correct since we compile relocate.S with -mthumb -mthumb-interwork, so the lowest bit of the *function* address should be set, to indicate this is a Thumb function. And "ENTRY(relocate_code)" clearly tells the assembler that relocate_code is a function entry point, so should carry the instruction set flag in bit 0. However we don't use the result of "adr" as an argument for a bx call later, but to calculate some relocation offset, so the bit is getting in the way. Without thinking too much about this, wouldn't it help to just always clear bit 0 in r3? Or probably better: to have an additional label, which is not marked as a function entry point?
Cheers, Andre
The change causes armv7-m to not boot.
What does "causes armv7-m to not boot" mean? It compiles fine, but hangs or crashes? Can you show the relevant disassembly from both binutils versions?
And from trying to reproduce this minimally, do we need a ".syntax unified" in the .S file?
Signed-off-by: Jesse Taube Mr.Bossman075@gmail.com
arch/arm/lib/relocate.S | 8 +++++++- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..22c419534f 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code)
- adr r3, relocate_code
+/*
- Binutils doesn't comply with the arm docs for adr in thumb2
- from commit d3e52e120b68bf19552743fbc078e0a759f48cb7 onward
- to remove ambiguity explicitly define the pseudo-instruction
- */
- mov r3, pc
- subs r3, #4
But this will break ARM, won't it? Because it would require to subtract #8? I mean there is a reason for this adr instruction, because this offset calculation is best left to the assembler. Not to speak of the fragility of assuming that the relocate_code label is pointing to the very first instruction. The ENTRY macro could also insert instructions.
Cheers, Andre
ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */

On Mon, 11 Jul 2022 15:11:13 +0100 Andre Przywara andre.przywara@arm.com wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jul 2022 13:57:40 +0100 Andre Przywara andre.przywara@arm.com wrote:
Hi,
On Sun, 10 Jul 2022 03:09:53 -0400 Jesse Taube mr.bossman075@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Jesse,
In Binutils 2.37 the ADR instruction has changed use alternate instructions.
Can you elaborate on this? What has changed exactly, and why? Looking at the commit you mention below I don't see an immediate problem that would require code changes? Also it speaks of forward references, but this one is not one? And I didn't spot any difference between 2.38 and 2.35, at least not in my isolated test (but I didn't bother to compile a whole stage 1 GCC with newer binutils yet).
OK, so digging a bit deeper I think I have an idea: With as 2.35 I get: 080007cc <relocate_code>: 80007cc: f2af 0304 subw r3, pc, #4
whereas with 2.38 it's: 080007cc <relocate_code>: 80007cc: f2af 0303 subw r3, pc, #3
the latter looks correct since we compile relocate.S with -mthumb -mthumb-interwork, so the lowest bit of the *function* address should be set, to indicate this is a Thumb function. And "ENTRY(relocate_code)" clearly tells the assembler that relocate_code is a function entry point, so should carry the instruction set flag in bit 0. However we don't use the result of "adr" as an argument for a bx call later, but to calculate some relocation offset, so the bit is getting in the way. Without thinking too much about this, wouldn't it help to just always clear bit 0 in r3? Or probably better: to have an additional label, which is not marked as a function entry point?
Does that fix it?
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..5102bfabde 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code) - adr r3, relocate_code +relocate_base: + adr r3, relocate_base ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */
Seems to generate the same code with both gas 2.35 and gas 2.38.
Cheers, Andre
Cheers, Andre
The change causes armv7-m to not boot.
What does "causes armv7-m to not boot" mean? It compiles fine, but hangs or crashes? Can you show the relevant disassembly from both binutils versions?
And from trying to reproduce this minimally, do we need a ".syntax unified" in the .S file?
Signed-off-by: Jesse Taube Mr.Bossman075@gmail.com
arch/arm/lib/relocate.S | 8 +++++++- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..22c419534f 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code)
- adr r3, relocate_code
+/*
- Binutils doesn't comply with the arm docs for adr in thumb2
- from commit d3e52e120b68bf19552743fbc078e0a759f48cb7 onward
- to remove ambiguity explicitly define the pseudo-instruction
- */
- mov r3, pc
- subs r3, #4
But this will break ARM, won't it? Because it would require to subtract #8? I mean there is a reason for this adr instruction, because this offset calculation is best left to the assembler. Not to speak of the fragility of assuming that the relocate_code label is pointing to the very first instruction. The ENTRY macro could also insert instructions.
Cheers, Andre
ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */

On 7/11/22 10:19, Andre Przywara wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jul 2022 15:11:13 +0100 Andre Przywara andre.przywara@arm.com wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jul 2022 13:57:40 +0100 Andre Przywara andre.przywara@arm.com wrote:
Hi,
On Sun, 10 Jul 2022 03:09:53 -0400 Jesse Taube mr.bossman075@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Jesse,
In Binutils 2.37 the ADR instruction has changed use alternate instructions.
Can you elaborate on this? What has changed exactly, and why? Looking at the commit you mention below I don't see an immediate problem that would require code changes? Also it speaks of forward references, but this one is not one? And I didn't spot any difference between 2.38 and 2.35, at least not in my isolated test (but I didn't bother to compile a whole stage 1 GCC with newer binutils yet).
OK, so digging a bit deeper I think I have an idea: With as 2.35 I get: 080007cc <relocate_code>: 80007cc: f2af 0304 subw r3, pc, #4
whereas with 2.38 it's: 080007cc <relocate_code>: 80007cc: f2af 0303 subw r3, pc, #3
the latter looks correct since we compile relocate.S with -mthumb -mthumb-interwork, so the lowest bit of the *function* address should be set, to indicate this is a Thumb function. And "ENTRY(relocate_code)" clearly tells the assembler that relocate_code is a function entry point, so should carry the instruction set flag in bit 0. However we don't use the result of "adr" as an argument for a bx call later, but to calculate some relocation offset, so the bit is getting in the way. Without thinking too much about this, wouldn't it help to just always clear bit 0 in r3? Or probably better: to have an additional label, which is not marked as a function entry point?
Does that fix it?
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..5102bfabde 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code)
- adr r3, relocate_code
+relocate_base:
- adr r3, relocate_base ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */
Seems to generate the same code with both gas 2.35 and gas 2.38.
Works thanks. Do you want to submit it or. Sorry about me not knowing Assembly for arm very well...
Thanks, Jesse
Cheers, Andre
Cheers, Andre
The change causes armv7-m to not boot.
What does "causes armv7-m to not boot" mean? It compiles fine, but hangs or crashes? Can you show the relevant disassembly from both binutils versions?
And from trying to reproduce this minimally, do we need a ".syntax unified" in the .S file?
Signed-off-by: Jesse Taube Mr.Bossman075@gmail.com
arch/arm/lib/relocate.S | 8 +++++++- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..22c419534f 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code)
- adr r3, relocate_code
+/*
- Binutils doesn't comply with the arm docs for adr in thumb2
- from commit d3e52e120b68bf19552743fbc078e0a759f48cb7 onward
- to remove ambiguity explicitly define the pseudo-instruction
- */
- mov r3, pc
- subs r3, #4
But this will break ARM, won't it? Because it would require to subtract #8? I mean there is a reason for this adr instruction, because this offset calculation is best left to the assembler. Not to speak of the fragility of assuming that the relocate_code label is pointing to the very first instruction. The ENTRY macro could also insert instructions.
Cheers, Andre
ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */

On 7/11/22 08:57, Andre Przywara wrote:
On Sun, 10 Jul 2022 03:09:53 -0400 Jesse Taube mr.bossman075@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Jesse,
In Binutils 2.37 the ADR instruction has changed use alternate instructions.
Can you elaborate on this? What has changed exactly, and why? Looking at the commit you mention below I don't see an immediate problem that would require code changes? Also it speaks of forward references, but this one is not one? And I didn't spot any difference between 2.38 and 2.35, at least not in my isolated test (but I didn't bother to compile a whole stage 1 GCC with newer binutils yet).
The change causes armv7-m to not boot.
What does "causes armv7-m to not boot" mean? It compiles fine, but hangs or crashes?
well when we reallocate it doesn't copy the whole instruction so its an invalid instruction and boot loops.
Can you show the relevant disassembly from both binutils versions?
And from trying to reproduce this minimally, do we need a ".syntax unified" in the .S file?
Yes its required. sorry i didn't post the test code here... The test code is as follows ``` .syntax unified .global bug; .align 4 bug:
adr r3, bug .size bug, .-bug .type bug 2; // This changes offset from 4 to 3 in include/linux/linkage.h:ENDPROC //arm-linux-gnueabi-as -march=armv7-m -c -o bug.o bug.S && arm-linux-gnueabi-objdump --disassemble=bug bug.o ```
Signed-off-by: Jesse Taube Mr.Bossman075@gmail.com
arch/arm/lib/relocate.S | 8 +++++++- 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S index 14b7f61c1a..22c419534f 100644 --- a/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S +++ b/arch/arm/lib/relocate.S @@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ ENDPROC(relocate_vectors) */
ENTRY(relocate_code)
- adr r3, relocate_code
+/*
- Binutils doesn't comply with the arm docs for adr in thumb2
- from commit d3e52e120b68bf19552743fbc078e0a759f48cb7 onward
- to remove ambiguity explicitly define the pseudo-instruction
- */
- mov r3, pc
- subs r3, #4
But this will break ARM, won't it? Because it would require to subtract #8? I mean there is a reason for this adr instruction, because this offset calculation is best left to the assembler. Not to speak of the fragility of assuming that the relocate_code label is pointing to the very first instruction. The ENTRY macro could also insert instructions.
Cheers, Andre
ldr r1, _image_copy_start_ofs add r1, r3 /* r1 <- Run &__image_copy_start */ subs r4, r0, r1 /* r4 <- Run to copy offset */
participants (3)
-
Andre Przywara
-
Jesse Taube
-
Tom Rini