Re: [PATCH] fix BZ 18116 - build failure on ppc64le: setcontext.S uses power6 mtfsf when not supported

[Martin Sebor <msebor at redhat dot com>]

On 03/16/2015 02:37 PM, Steven Munroe wrote:
> On Mon, 2015-03-16 at 11:41 -0600, Martin Sebor wrote:
> > The attached patch fixes a glibc build failure with gcc 5 on
> > powerpc64le caused by a recent change in gcc where the compiler
> > defines the _ARCH_PWR6 macro when processing assembly files
> > but doesn't invoke the assembler in the corresponding machine
> > mode (unless it has been explicitly configured to target POWER
> > 6 or later). A bug had been filed with gcc for this (65341) but
> > was closed as won't fix. Glibc relies on the _ARCH_PWR6 macro
> > in a few .S files to make use of Power ISA 2.5 instructions
> > (specifically, the four-argument form of the mtfsf insn).
> > A similar problem had occurred in the past (bug 10118) but
> > the fix that was committed for it didn't anticipate this new
> > problem. The fix in the proposed patch introduces the .machine
> > "power6" directive unconditionaly, regardless of whether
> > _ARCH_PWR6 is defined.
>
> I think this patch is incorrect for the architecture. The 4 operand form
> of mtfsf should only be used with processors that support the DFP
> category.
>
> So the .machine power6 should not be moved above the #ifdef.
> The .machine should be in the #ifdef _ARCH_PWR6 #else "leg" specifically
> around the mtfsf 4 operand form following the PPC_FEATURE_HAS_DFP test.

That's where the directive currently is, i.e., only in the
#else block.

The problem is that the four operand mtfsf is used in both
blocks.  That causes the error when the assembler sees the
#if block without the .machine "power6" directive.

Since the Power 2.5 instruction is used in both conditionally
included blocks the proposed patch introduces the directive
unconditionally, outside either.

Another way to fix the problem would be to do both of:

  a) move the .machine directive to the #if block
  b) change the #else block to avoid using the four operand
     form of the mtfsf instruction.

or both of:

  a) keep the .machine directive in the #else block
  b) change the #if block to avoid using the four operand
     form of the mtfsf instruction.

Is one of these what you're recommending?

Martin