Re: Linux doesn't follow x86/x86-64 ABI wrt direction flag

David Miller
2008-03-05T21:23:32Z

From: Aurelien Jarno <aurelien@aurel32.net>
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:52:14 +0100

> H. Peter Anvin a écrit :
> > The best would be if this could be controlled by a flag, which we can
> > flip once kernel fixes has been around for long enough.
>
> I have to agree there. Whatever the decision that gcc will take,
> distributions will reenable the old behaviour for some time for to allow
> upgrades from a previous version.

I don't think this approach is tenable.

If a distribution should ship with a "fixed" kernel and
compiler enabling the new direction flag behavior, any
binary you create on that system will be broken on any
other existing system.

I think we really are stuck with this forever, overwhelming
practice over the past 15 years has dictated to us what the
real ABI is.