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From: Ralf Baechle <ralf@linux-mips.org>
To: Rich Felker <dalias@aerifal.cx>
Cc: linux-mips@linux-mips.org
Subject: Re: Is r25 saved across syscalls?
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:08:30 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20120910170830.GB24448@linux-mips.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20120909193008.GA15157@brightrain.aerifal.cx>

On Sun, Sep 09, 2012 at 03:30:08PM -0400, Rich Felker wrote:

> The kernel syscall entry/exit code seems to always save and restore
> r25. Is this stable/documented behavior I can rely on? If there's a
> reason it _needs_ to be preserved, knowing that would help convince me
> it's safe to assume it will always be done. The intended usage is to
> be able to make syscalls (where the syscall # is not a constant that
> could be loaded with lwi) without a stack frame, as in "move $2,$25 ;
> syscall".

The basic design idea is that syscalls use a calling convention similar
to subroutine calls.  $25 is $t9, so a temp register which is callee saved.

So if the kernel is saving $t9 and you've been relying on that, consider
yourself lucky - there's not guarantee for that.

  Ralf

  reply	other threads:[~2012-09-10 17:08 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 14+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2012-09-09 19:30 Is r25 saved across syscalls? Rich Felker
2012-09-10 17:08 ` Ralf Baechle [this message]
2012-09-10 17:22   ` Rich Felker
2012-09-10 18:04     ` David Daney
2012-09-10 18:37       ` Rich Felker
2012-09-11  8:48         ` Ralf Baechle
2012-09-11 13:32           ` Rich Felker
2012-09-11  0:29     ` Maciej W. Rozycki
2012-09-11  1:04       ` Kevin D. Kissell
2012-09-11  1:27         ` David Daney
2012-09-11  2:28       ` Rich Felker
2012-09-11  8:58       ` Ralf Baechle
2012-09-11  8:12 ` Ralf Baechle
2012-09-11 13:44   ` Rich Felker

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