On Tue, Jun 8, 2021 at 11:32 AM Alexei Starovoitov <alexei.starovoitov@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > On Tue, Jun 08, 2021 at 09:33:28AM -0700, Fāng-ruì Sòng wrote: > > On Tue, Jun 8, 2021 at 8:49 AM Alexei Starovoitov > > <alexei.starovoitov@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > > > On Mon, Jun 7, 2021 at 10:51 PM Fāng-ruì Sòng <maskray@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > > > > > You can rename R_BPF_64_64 to something more meaningful, e.g. R_BPF_64_LDIMM64. > > > > Then I am fine that such a relocation type applies inconsecutive bytes. > > > > > > > > See below. Just change every occurrence of the old name in llvm-project. > > > > > > No. We cannot rename them, because certain gnu tools resolve relos by name > > > and not by number. > > > > How do the GNU tools resolve relocations by name instead of by > > relocation type number? > > I don't think this should and can be supported. > > > > Most tools should do: > > if (type == R_BPF_64_64) do_something(); > > > > You are free to change them to > > if (type == R_BPF_64_LDIMM64) do_something(); > > as long as R_BPF_64_LDIMM64 is defined as the number. > > If you're going to succeed convincing elfutils maintainers to change > their whole design then we can realistically talk about renaming. > As a homework try cloning elfutils.git then change the name in backends/x86_64_reloc.def > or bpf_reloc.def while keeping the numbers and observe how the standard tools stop working. > > Also R_BPF_64_64 may not be the best name, but R_BPF_64_LDIMM64 is > not a good name either. I used R_BPF_64_LDIMM64 as an example. Surely you could name it more appropriately. > Most architectures avoid using instruction mnemonic > in relo names. The relo name should describe what it does instead of insn > it applies to. TLS, GOT, PLT, ABS are good suffixes to use. LDIMM64 - not really. > Instead of R_BPF_64_32 we could have used R_BPF_64_PC32, but not R_BPF_64_CALL32. > Anyway it's too late to change. R_X86_64_PC32/R_X86_64_PLT32 are different. Please see https://sourceware.org/pipermail/binutils/2020-April/000424.html for why a dedicated branch relocation is preferred for a branch instruction. elfutils folks, BPF is adding new relocation types R_BPF_64_ABS64/R_BPF_64_ABS32 which will can cause ongoing confusion with the existing R_BPF_64_32/R_BPF_64_64. Can you comment on why elfutils cannot rename R_BPF_64_32/R_BPF_64_64 while keep R_BPF_64_32/R_BPF_64_64 as deprecated aliases for the new names?
