binutils, gas, ld: Disable SFrames for some tests
Discussion around disabling SFrame tests in binutils, gas, and ld, with a review focusing on the unconditional setting of SFrames and the intent of specific te…
Jan Beulich reviews a patch intended to disable SFrame tests in binutils, gas, and ld. The discussion revolves around the correct placement and necessity of disabling SFrames, particularly in test cases. Beulich questions an unconditional setting of --gsframe=no and the purpose of disabling SFrames in a test designed to check for undue ‘upgrade’ to SFrames.
- proposer
Submits a patch to disable SFrame tests and later clarifies a cleanup error, confirming the first modification is the intended one.
“Sorry, pasto. I'd changed my mind and didn't clean it up. The first one is the one that should stay.”
- reviewer
Questions the unconditional setting of `--gsframe=no` and the rationale for disabling SFrames within a test suite that specifically targets SFrame behavior.
“With this, ... ... why this further (and unconditional) setting? And then, as we're in a section of SFrame specific tests, why would it want disabling here at all?”
- proposer
Explains that the test aims to catch undue SFrame upgrades and that passing `--gsframe=no` does not undermine the test's intent.
“The test is checking whether an object gets "upgraded" to SFrames unduly. If SFrames are default-enabled, the test fails becuse it thinks the upgrade happened. I think ideally would have a way to check if it is default-enabled or not and only disable in that case, but it's one test, and from my reading of it, I don't think passing --gsframe=no undermines the intent of it.”
- reviewer
Agrees with the adjusted change but seeks confirmation on a specific aspect of the SFrame test from Indu.
“With this adjusted, the change is okay except for ... ... this one aspect, which I'd like Indu to confirm.”
Technical Tradeoffs
- Ensuring test accuracy when default behaviors are modified.
- Maintaining clear test objectives while accommodating different build configurations.
In Details
This discussion concerns a patch series for binutils, gas, and ld that adjusts test suite behavior related to SFrames. SFrames are a feature likely related to stack frame unwind information. The core of the debate is whether SFrames should be unconditionally disabled during certain tests or if disabling them undermines the test's purpose, particularly when SFrames might be default-enabled. The maintainer seeks clarification on the test's intent and its interaction with default SFrame behavior.
- SFrame
- Likely refers to a mechanism for generating stack frame unwind information, possibly related to debugging or exception handling. The exact nature is not fully specified but relates to code generation in gas/ld.
- gas
- The GNU Assembler, part of the binutils package. It translates assembly language code into machine code.
- ld
- The GNU linker, part of the binutils package. It combines object files and libraries to create an executable or shared library.
- Testsuite
- A collection of tests designed to verify the correctness of a software component.