Re: [PATCH] include: kernel.h: rewrite min3, max3 and clamp using min and max

[Michal Nazarewicz <mina86@mina86.com>]

On Mon, Jun 16 2014, Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org> wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Jun 2014 23:07:22 +0200 Michal Nazarewicz <mina86@mina86.com> wrote:
>
>> It appears that gcc is better at optimising a double call to min
>> and max rather than open coded min3 and max3.  This can be observed
>> here:
>> 
>> ...
>>
>> Furthermore, after ___make allmodconfig && make bzImage modules___ this is the
>> comparison of image and modules sizes:
>> 
>>     # Without this patch applied
>>     $ ls -l arch/x86/boot/bzImage **/*.ko |awk '{size += $5} END {print size}'
>>     350715800
>> 
>>     # With this patch applied
>>     $ ls -l arch/x86/boot/bzImage **/*.ko |awk '{size += $5} END {print size}'
>>     349856528
>
> We saved nearly a megabyte by optimising min3(), max3() and clamp()? 
>
> I'm counting a grand total of 182 callsites for those macros.  So the
> saving is 4700 bytes per invokation?  I don't believe it...

You're absolutely right.  I must have messed something up here.  This
portion of the commit message should be removed.

So I've redone this just on just the kernel image with allmodconfig:

    Linux mpn-glaptop 3.13.0-29-generic #53~precise1-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jun 4 22:06:25 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
    gcc (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu5) 4.6.3
    Copyright (C) 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
    warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
    
    -rwx------ 1 mpn eng 51224656 Jun 17 14:15 vmlinux.before
    -rwx------ 1 mpn eng 51224608 Jun 17 13:57 vmlinux.after

48 bytes reduction.  The do_fault_around was a few instruction shorter
and as far as I can tell saved 12 bytes on the stack, i.e.:

    $ grep -e rsp -e pop -e push do_fault_around.*
    do_fault_around.before.s:push   %rbp
    do_fault_around.before.s:mov    %rsp,%rbp
    do_fault_around.before.s:push   %r13
    do_fault_around.before.s:push   %r12
    do_fault_around.before.s:push   %rbx
    do_fault_around.before.s:sub    $0x38,%rsp
    do_fault_around.before.s:add    $0x38,%rsp
    do_fault_around.before.s:pop    %rbx
    do_fault_around.before.s:pop    %r12
    do_fault_around.before.s:pop    %r13
    do_fault_around.before.s:pop    %rbp

    do_fault_around.after.s:push   %rbp
    do_fault_around.after.s:mov    %rsp,%rbp
    do_fault_around.after.s:push   %r12
    do_fault_around.after.s:push   %rbx
    do_fault_around.after.s:sub    $0x30,%rsp
    do_fault_around.after.s:add    $0x30,%rsp
    do_fault_around.after.s:pop    %rbx
    do_fault_around.after.s:pop    %r12
    do_fault_around.after.s:pop    %rbp

or here side-by-side:

    Before                    After
    push   %rbp               push   %rbp          
    mov    %rsp,%rbp          mov    %rsp,%rbp     
    push   %r13                                    
    push   %r12               push   %r12          
    push   %rbx               push   %rbx          
    sub    $0x38,%rsp         sub    $0x30,%rsp    
    add    $0x38,%rsp         add    $0x30,%rsp    
    pop    %rbx               pop    %rbx          
    pop    %r12               pop    %r12          
    pop    %r13                                    
    pop    %rbp               pop    %rbp          

There are also fewer branches:

    $ grep ^j do_fault_around.*
    do_fault_around.before.s:jae    ffffffff812079b7
    do_fault_around.before.s:jmp    ffffffff812079c5
    do_fault_around.before.s:jmp    ffffffff81207a14
    do_fault_around.before.s:ja     ffffffff812079f9
    do_fault_around.before.s:jb     ffffffff81207a10
    do_fault_around.before.s:jmp    ffffffff81207a63
    do_fault_around.before.s:jne    ffffffff812079df
    
    do_fault_around.after.s:jmp    ffffffff812079fd
    do_fault_around.after.s:ja     ffffffff812079e2
    do_fault_around.after.s:jb     ffffffff812079f9
    do_fault_around.after.s:jmp    ffffffff81207a4c
    do_fault_around.after.s:jne    ffffffff812079c8

And here's with allyesconfig on a different machine:

    $ uname -a; gcc --version; ls -l vmlinux.*
    Linux erwin 3.14.7-mn #54 SMP Sun Jun 15 11:25:08 CEST 2014 x86_64 AMD Phenom(tm) II X3 710 Processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
    gcc (GCC) 4.8.3
    Copyright (C) 2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
    warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
    
    -rwx------ 1 mina86 mina86 230616126 Jun 17 15:39 vmlinux.before*
    -rwx------ 1 mina86 mina86 230614861 Jun 17 14:36 vmlinux.after*

1265 bytes reduction.

-- 
Best regards,                                         _     _
.o. | Liege of Serenely Enlightened Majesty of      o' \,=./ `o
..o | Computer Science,  Michał “mina86” Nazarewicz    (o o)
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