GNU DWARF augmentation authority

GNU DWARF augmentation authority

[David Mosberger]

Who (or what) is the authority that can bless extensions to the format
of the CIE augmentation string which appear in the .eh_frame sections?

I'm asking since I'm working on two extensions: one to enable the
marking of special frames (such as signal-frames, see [1]) and one to
better support dynamic code generators.  It would be nice if these
extensions could be blessed "officially", so that we don't run the
risk of ending up with conflicting extensions.  Just to be clear, in
both cases the extensions are backwards-compatible in the sense that
an unwinder who doesn't know about the extensions can simply ignore
them and it won't work any worse than without the extension (and of
course, for extension-aware unwinders can work better).

Thanks,

	--david

[1] http://uwsg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0411.2/1370.html

Re: GNU DWARF augmentation authority

[Daniel Berlin]

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004, David Mosberger wrote:

> Who (or what) is the authority that can bless extensions to the format
> of the CIE augmentation string which appear in the .eh_frame sections?
>

You want to email the dwarf2/3 committee reflector

Email Michael Eager at eager@eagercon.com.

He's the committee chair, and should be able to add you to  the mailing 
list.

Re: GNU DWARF augmentation authority

[David Mosberger]

>>>>> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:27:16 -0500 (EST), Daniel Berlin <dberlin@dberlin.org> said:

  Daniel> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004, David Mosberger wrote:

  >> Who (or what) is the authority that can bless extensions to the
  >> format of the CIE augmentation string which appear in the
  >> .eh_frame sections?


  Daniel> You want to email the dwarf2/3 committee reflector

  Daniel> Email Michael Eager at eager@eagercon.com.

  Daniel> He's the committee chair, and should be able to add you to
  Daniel> the mailing list.

That's interesting.  I thought the augmentation string used by the GNU
toolchain are purely a GNU extension.  Is that not so?

	--david

Re: GNU DWARF augmentation authority

[Daniel Berlin]

>  Daniel> You want to email the dwarf2/3 committee reflector
>
>  Daniel> Email Michael Eager at eager@eagercon.com.
>
>  Daniel> He's the committee chair, and should be able to add you to
>  Daniel> the mailing list.
>
> That's interesting.  I thought the augmentation string used by the GNU
> toolchain are purely a GNU extension.  Is that not so?

Depends on what you mean by "purely". If you mean we control them, then 
yes, they are purely GNU.

However, i'm pretty sure they were discussed (as were other extensions) on 
the reflector before they were implemented, so as not to cause gratuitous 
problems with other extensions, etc.

I'm sure Jason Merrill can correct me if i'm wrong about this.

>
> 	--david
>

Re: GNU DWARF augmentation authority

[David Mosberger]

>>>>> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:41:20 -0500 (EST), Daniel Berlin <dberlin@dberlin.org> said:

  Daniel> You want to email the dwarf2/3 committee reflector
  >>
  Daniel> Email Michael Eager at eager@eagercon.com.
  >>
  Daniel> He's the committee chair, and should be able to add you to
  Daniel> the mailing list.

  >>  That's interesting.  I thought the augmentation string used by
  >> the GNU toolchain are purely a GNU extension.  Is that not so?

  Daniel> Depends on what you mean by "purely". If you mean we control
  Daniel> them, then yes, they are purely GNU.

  Daniel> However, i'm pretty sure they were discussed (as were other
  Daniel> extensions) on the reflector before they were implemented,
  Daniel> so as not to cause gratuitous problems with other
  Daniel> extensions, etc.

  Daniel> I'm sure Jason Merrill can correct me if i'm wrong about
  Daniel> this.

Who would be the person(s) to decided whether the extensions are OK
for GNU?  Since my (to be) proposed extension follow the GNU way of
interpreting the augmentation data, it seems to me that I should first
get approval (or at least a review/comments) for GNU first before
reaching out to the DWARF standard.  Does that make sense?

	--david