Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH v2] tcg: Remove stack protection from helper functions

[Jan Kiszka]

On 2011-09-26 19:22, Blue Swirl wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 11:56 AM, Peter Maydell
> <address@hidden> wrote:
>> On 26 September 2011 12:43, Jan Kiszka <address@hidden> wrote:
>>> On 2011-09-26 13:33, Peter Maydell wrote:
>>>> On 26 September 2011 11:51, Jan Kiszka <address@hidden> wrote:
>>>>> This increases the overhead of frequently executed helpers. We need to
>>>>> move rule past QEMU_CFLAGS assignment to ensure that the required simple
>>>>> assignment picks up all bits. The signal workaround is moved just for
>>>>> the sake of consistency.
>>>>
>>>>> +# NOTE: Must be after the last QEMU_CFLAGS assignment
>>>>> +op_helper.o user-exec.o: QEMU_CFLAGS := $(subst 
>>>>> -fstack-protector-all,,$(QEMU_CFLAGS)) $(HELPER_CFLAGS)
>>>>
>>>> Why also user-exec.o ?
>>>
>>> That's a good question. It doesn't look like it's deserving this.
>>>
>>>> Why not the other source files with helpers in?
>>>
>>> Name them and I add them.
>>
>> target-*/*helper.c ?
>>
>> But mostly I think what I'm trying to say is that this is making
>> a tradeoff between safety and speed, so it ought to come with a
>> rationale for why it is OK to remove the safety checks for these
>> files. Given that rationale you can identify other files that are
>> also safe/worthwhile to flip the flag for.
> 
> I wouldn't remove -fstack-protector-all by default. Especially op code
> interfaces with the guest.

I'd love to have some function attribute for this, because a stack
protector for rather simple arithmetic operations or something like
helper_cli/sti are pointlessly burned cycles.

Maybe we can introduce op_helper_simple.c.

> 
> For max performance version, I'd check if -fomit-frame-pointer and -O3
> makes sense. See also this article:
> https://www.debian-administration.org/article/672/Optimizing_code_via_compiler_flags

We already run without frame pointers, -O3 might be worth exploring in
addition. Still, that won't take the protector overhead away.

Jan

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