Per David's description of the IETF standardization process, this
document will form the basis for an informational eBPF ABI. The
work in this commit is a slightly more complete skeleton for the work
that we will do. Everything in this document (from formatting to topics
to details) is open for change and feedback.
---
Documentation/bpf/standardization/abi.rst | 259 +++++++++++++++++++++-
1 file changed, 250 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
Changelog:
v1 -> v2:
- Address David's comments
- Reflow to a max of 80 character lines (Christoph's feedback)
diff --git a/Documentation/bpf/standardization/abi.rst b/Documentation/bpf/standardization/abi.rst
index 0c2e10eeb89a..f6a87b7a300c 100644
--- a/Documentation/bpf/standardization/abi.rst
+++ b/Documentation/bpf/standardization/abi.rst
@@ -1,18 +1,162 @@
-.. contents::
-.. sectnum::
-
===================================================
BPF ABI Recommended Conventions and Guidelines v1.0
===================================================
-This is version 1.0 of an informational document containing recommended
-conventions and guidelines for producing portable BPF program binaries.
+An application binary interface (ABI) defines the requirements that one or more
+binary software objects must meet in order to guarantee that they can
+interoperate and/or use the resources provided by operating systems/hardware
+combinations. (For alternate definitions of ABI, see [SYSVABI]_, [POWERPCABI]_)
+
+The purpose of this document is to define an ABI which will define the extent
+to which compiled BPF programs are compatible with each other and the BPF
+machine/processor [#]_ on which they are executing.
+
+The ABI is specified in two parts: a generic part and a processor-specific part.
+A pairing of generic ABI with the processor-specific ABI for a certain
+instantiation of a BPF machine represents a complete binary interface for BPF
+programs executing on that machine.
+
+This document is the generic ABI and specifies the parameters and behavior
+common to all instantiations of BPF machines. In addition, it defines the
+details that must be specified by each processor-specific ABI.
+
+These psABIs are the second part of the ABI. Each instantiation of a BPF
+machine must describe the mechanism through which binary interface
+compatibility is maintained with respect to the issues highlighted by this
+document. However, the details that must be defined by a psABI are a minimum --
+a psABI may specify additional requirements for binary interface compatibility
+on a platform.
+
+.. contents::
+.. sectnum::
+
+How To Use This ABI
+===================
+
+Conformance
+===========
+
+**Author's Note**: Red Hat specifies different levels of conformance over
+time [RHELABI]_.
+
+Related Work
+============
+BPF programs are not unique for the way that they operate on a virtualized
+machine and processor. There are many programming languages that compile to an
+ISA that is specific to a virtual machine. Like the specification presented
+herein, those languages and virtual machines also have ABIs.
+
+For example, the Go programming language and the runtime included statically
+with each program compiled from Go source code have a defined ABI [GOABI]_.
+Java programs compiled to bytecode follow a well-defined ABI for
+interoperability with other compiled Java programs and libraries [JAVAABI]_.
+Programs compiled to bytecode for execution as user applications on the Android
+operating system (OS) adhere to a bytecode specification that shares much in
+common with an ABI [DALVIKABI]_. Finally, the Common Language Runtime (CLR)
+designed to execute programs compiled to the Microsoft Intermediate Language
+(MSIL) has a fully specified ABI [CLRABI]_.
+
+Vocabulary
+==========
+
+#. Program: A BPF Program is an ordered set of BPF instructions, with exactly
+ one entry instruction where the program begins, and one or more exit
+ instructions where program execution can end.
+#. Program Type: Every BPF program has an associated type. The program type
+ defines, among other things, a program's possible attach types.
+#. Attach Type: An attach type defines the set of BPF hook points to which a BPF
+ program can attach.
+#. BPF Hook Points: Places in a BPF-enabled component (e.g., the Linux Kernel,
+ the Windows kernel) where a BPF program may be attached.
+#. ABI-conforming BPF Machine Instantiation: A physical or logical realization
+ of a computer system capable of executing BPF programs consistently with the
+ specifications outlined in this document.
+#. ABI-conforming BPF program: A BPF program written to include only the system
+ routines, commands, and other resources included in this ABI; or a BPF
+ program compiled into an executable file that has the formats and
+ characteristics specified for such files in this ABI; or a BPF program whose
+ behavior complies with the rules given in the ABI [SYSVABI]_.
+#. ABI-nonconforming program: A BPF program that is not ABI conforming.
+#. Undefined Behavior: Behavior that may vary from instance to instance or may
+ change at some time in the future. Some undesirable programming practices
+ are marked in this ABI as yielding undefined behavior [SYSVABI]_.
+#. Unspecified Property: A property of an entity defined in this document that
+ is not explicitly included, defined or referenced in this specification, and
+ may change at some time in the future. In general, it is not good practice
+ to make a program depend on an unspecified property [SYSVABI]_.
+
+Program Execution Environment
+=============================
+
+A loaded BPF program is executed in a freestanding or hosted environment. [#]_.
+
+BPF Program Freestanding Execution Environment
+----------------------------------------------
+
+**TODO**
+
+
+BPF Program Hosted Execution Environment
+----------------------------------------
+
+A hosted execution environment is one in which a BPF machine instantiation is
+embedded within another computer system known as a BPF-enabled application
+(e.g., a user application or an operating system kernel). A loaded BPF program
+can be attached to a BPF hook point in such a BPF-enabled application
+compatible with the attach type of its program type. When the BPF-enabled
+application's execution reaches a BPF hook point to which a BPF program is
+attached, that BPF program begins execution on the embedded BPF machine at the
+program's first instruction. The contents of the embedded BPF machine's
+registers and memory at the time it starts execution of the BPF program are
+defined by the BPF program's type and attach point.
+
+Processor Architecture
+======================
+
+This section describes the processor architecture available
+to programs. It also defines the reference language data types, giving the
+foundation for system interface specifications [SYSVABI]_
+
+Registers
+---------
+
+General Purpose Registers
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+BPF has 11 64-bit wide registers, `r0` - `r10`. There exists a single
+32-bit wide subregister for each one of the 11 64-bit wide registers. Those
+registers do not have their own names -- they are accessible indirectly
+through the 32-bit ALU instructions.
+
+The contents of the registers at the beginning of a BPF program's
+execution depend on the program's type.
-Registers and calling convention
-================================
+Frame Pointer Register
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+The use of a frame pointer by programs is not required. If, however, a BPF
+program does use a frame pointer, it must be stored in register `r10` and
+must be read only.
-BPF has 10 general purpose registers and a read-only frame pointer register,
-all of which are 64-bits wide.
+Data Types
+----------
+
+Numeric Types
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+The BPF machine supports 32- and 64-bit signed and unsigned integers. It does
+not support floating-point data types. All signed integers are represented in
+twos-complement format where the sign bit is stored in the most-significant bit.
+
+Pointers
+^^^^^^^^
+
+Function Calling Sequence
+=========================
+This section defines the standard function calling sequence in a way that
+accommodates exceptions, stack management, register (non)volatility, and access
+to capabilities of the hosting environment (where applicable).
+
+Functions in BPF may define between 0 and 5 parameters. Each of the arguments in
+a function call are passed in registers.
The BPF calling convention is defined as:
@@ -23,3 +167,100 @@ The BPF calling convention is defined as:
R0 - R5 are scratch registers and BPF programs needs to spill/fill them if
necessary across calls.
+
+Every function invocation proceeds as if it has exclusive access to an
+implementation-defined amount of stack space. R10 is a pointer to the byte of
+memory with the highest address in that stack space. The contents
+of a function invocation's stack space do not persist between invocations.
+
+**TODO** Discuss manufactured prologue and epilogue. Take language from the
+design FAQ.
+
+Execution Environment Interface
+===============================
+
+When a BPF program executes in a hosted environment, the hosted environment
+may make available to BPF programs certain capabilities. This section
+describes those capabilities and the mechanism for accessing them.
+
+
+Program Execution
+=================
+
+Program Return Values
+---------------------
+
+**Author's Note** libbpf currently defines the return value of an ebpf program
+as a 32-bit unsigned integer.
+
+Program Loading and Dynamic Linking
+-----------------------------------
+This section describes the object file information and system actions that
+create running programs. Some information here applies to all systems;
+information specific to one processor resides in sections marked accordingly
+[SYSVABI]_.
+
+BPF programs saved in ELF files must be loaded from storage and properly
+configured before they can be executed on a BPF machine.
+
+Program Loading (Processor-Specific)
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Dynamic Linking
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Global Offset Table (Processor-Specific)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Procedure Linkage Table (Processor-Specific)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Exception Handling
+==================
+
+BPF Program Types
+==================
+**Author's Note** This information may end up as a subsection somewhere else.
+
+BPF Maps
+=========
+**Author's Note** This information may end up as a subsection somewhere else.
+
+System Calls
+============
+
+**TODO**
+
+C Programming Language Support
+==============================
+
+**Author's Note** This section could be included in order to define the contents
+of standardized processor-specific header files that would make it easier
+for programmers to write programs.
+
+Notes
+=====
+.. [#] The BPF machine does not need to be a physical instantiation of a processor.
+ In fact, many instantiations of BPF machines are virtual.
+.. [#] See the [CSTD]_ for the inspiration for this distinction.
+
+References
+==========
+
+.. [SYSVABI] System V Application Binary Interface - Edition 4.1. SCO Developer Specs.
+ The Santa Cruz Operation. 1997.
+ https://www.sco.com/developers/devspecs/gabi41.pdf
+.. [POWERPCABI] Developing PowerPC Embedded Application Binary Interface (EABI)
+ Compliant Programs. PowerPC Embedded Processors Application Note. IBM. 1998. http://class.ece.iastate.edu/arun/Cpre381_Sp06/lab/labw12a/eabi_app.pdf
+.. [GOABI] Go internal ABI specification. Go Source Code. No authors. 2023.
+ https://go.googlesource.com/go/+/refs/heads/master/src/cmd/compile/abi-internal.md
+.. [JAVAABI] The Java (r) Language Specification - Java SE 7 Edition. Gosling, James et. al.
+ Oracle. 2013. https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se7/html/index.html
+.. [DALVIKABI] Dalvik Bytecode. Android Core Runtime Documentation. No authors. Google.
+ 2022. https://source.android.com/docs/core/runtime/dalvik-bytecode
+.. [CLRABI] CLR ABI. The Book of the Runtime. No authors. Microsoft. 2023.
+ https://github.com/dotnet/coreclr/blob/master/Documentation/botr/clr-abi.md.
+.. [CSTD] International Standard: Programming Languages - C. ISO/IEC. 2018.
+ https://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg14/www/docs/n2310.pdf.
+.. [RHELABI] Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: Application Compatibility Guide. Red Hat.
+ 2023. https://access.redhat.com/articles/rhel8-abi-compatibility.
--
2.41.0
