Re: [PATCH 00/33] Compile-time stack metadata validation

Josh Poimboeuf
2016-02-23T15:08:01Z

On Tue, Feb 23, 2016 at 11:27:17AM -0300, Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo wrote:
> Em Tue, Feb 23, 2016 at 09:14:06AM +0100, Ingo Molnar escreveu:
> > The fact that 'stacktool' already checks about assembly details like __ex_table[]
> > shows that my review feedback early iterations of this series, that the
> > 'stacktool' name is too specific, was correct.
> >
> > We really need to rename it before it gets upstream and the situation gets worse.
> > __ex_table[] has obviously nothing to do with the 'stack layout' of binaries.
> >
> > Another suitable name would be 'asmtool' or 'objtool'. For example the following
> > would naturally express what it does:
> >
> > objtool check kernel/built-in.o
> >
> > the name expresses that the tool checks object files, independently of the
> > existing toolchain. Its primary purpose right now is the checking of stack layout
> > details, but the tool is not limited to that at all.
>
> Removing 'tool' from the tool name would be nice too :-) Making it
> easily googlable would be good too, lotsa people complain about 'perf'
> being too vague, see for a quick laugher:
>
> http://www.brendangregg.com/perf.html
>
> ``Searching for just "perf" finds sites on the police, petroleum, weed
> control, and a T-shirt. This is not an official perf page, for either
> perf_events or the T-shirt.''
>
> The T-shirt: http://www.brendangregg.com/perf_events/omg-so-perf.jpg

Yeah, 'tool' in the name is kind of silly, but the above type of
situation is why I prefer 'objtool' over 'obj'.

Though I have to admit I like the idea of making a t-shirt for it ;-)

> Maybe we should ask Linus to come with some other nice, short,
> searchable, funny name like 'git'?
>
> 'chob' as in 'check object'?

I think 'objtool' is searchable enough. And I also like the fact that
its name at least gives you an idea of what it does (and eventually it
will do more than just "checking").

--
Josh