The 32-bit decompressor does not actually use a global offset table (GOT), but as is common for 32-bit position independent code, it uses the magic symbol _GLOBAL_OFFSET_TABLE_ as an anchor from which to derive the actual runtime addresses of other symbols, using special @GOTOFF symbol references that are resolved at link time, and populated with the distance between the address of the magic _GLOBAL_OFFSET_TABLE_ anchor and the address of the symbol in question. This means _GLOBAL_OFFSET_TABLE_ is the only symbol whose actual runtime address needs to be determined explicitly, which is one of the first things that happens in startup_32. However, it does so by taking the absolute address via the immediate field of an ADD instruction (plus a small offset), which seems to defeat the point. Fortunately, the assembler knows that _GLOBAL_OFFSET_TABLE_ is magic, and emits a special relative relocation instead, and so the resulting code works as expected. However, this is not obvious for someone reading the code, and the use of LEA with an explicit relative addend is more idiomatic so use that instead. Signed-off-by: Ard Biesheuvel <ardb@xxxxxxxxxx> --- arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_32.S | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_32.S b/arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_32.S index 8876ffe30e9a4819..3530465b5b85ccf3 100644 --- a/arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_32.S +++ b/arch/x86/boot/compressed/head_32.S @@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ SYM_FUNC_START(startup_32) leal (BP_scratch+4)(%esi), %esp call 1f 1: popl %edx - addl $_GLOBAL_OFFSET_TABLE_+(.-1b), %edx + leal (_GLOBAL_OFFSET_TABLE_ - 1b)(%edx), %edx /* Load new GDT */ leal gdt@GOTOFF(%edx), %eax -- 2.39.2
