Re: Thread Specific Architectures And Python Unwinder API

[Luis Machado <luis.machado@arm.com>]

Hi Andrew,

On 10/11/23 09:47, Andrew Burgess wrote:
> 
> Hi Luis,
> 
> While working on something else I was looking at the Python Unwinder API
> code, and I suspect that the thread-specific architectures support might
> (currently) break the Python Unwinder support.
> 
> If it is, then I think the fix is pretty simple, but before I posted it,
> I wondered if you could confirm that things are indeed, currently
> broken.
> 
> Attached at the end of this email is a Python unwinder.  You'll need to
> supply your own test program that makes use of sve/sme, and thus uses
> thread-specific architectures.
> 
> What you'll need to do is:
> 
>   $ gdb -q test_file_that_uses_sve_sme
>   Reading symbols from .... etc ...
>   (gdb) source ./unwinder.py
>   (gdb) break function_where_a_thread_specific_arch_will_be_in_use
>   Breakpoint 1 at ... etc ...
>   (gdb) run
>   Starting program: ... etc ...
> 
> Now at this point, when you stop, you should see at least one instance
> of the banner:
>   
>   ***********************************
>   * Have executed the test unwinder *
>   ***********************************
> 
> being printed, probably more.  As you step though the function you
> should see more instances of the banner being printed.
> 
> To reveal the bug then it is important that when GDB stops in
> function_where_a_thread_specific_arch_will_be_in_use, the per-thread
> gdbarch that it creates _must_ be different from the inferior wide,
> top-level gdbarch.
> 
> If you don't see the banner then my suspicion is correct, and the Python
> Unwinder API was broken when the thread-specific architecture support
> was added.
> 
> The problem (I think) is that the Python unwinder is registered on each
> gdbarch as a result of the gdb::observers::architecture_changed.notify()
> call in set_target_gdbarch (though Simon has recently moved, or is about
> to move, this code, but not in a way that will fix this problem).  Thus,
> the Python unwinder is only registered on the top-level (inferior wide)
> gdbarch, not on each of the different per-thread architectures.
> 
> I have a patch here that removes the 'architecture_changed' observer,
> and replaces it with a 'new_architecture' observer, which I propose to
> move up into gdbarch_find_by_info.
> 
> Thanks,
> Andrew
> 
> ---
> 
> from gdb.unwinder import Unwinder, FrameId
> 
> class test_unwinder(Unwinder):
>     def __init__(self):
>         super().__init__("test_unwinder")
> 
>     def __call__(self,pending_frame):
>         print("")
>         print("***********************************")
>         print("* Have executed the test unwinder *")
>         print("***********************************")
>         return None
> 
> gdb.unwinder.register_unwinder(None, test_unwinder(), replace=True)
> 

I'll give this a try and will let you know. But I suspect it might be broken indeed. Not all the gdb layers
support this concept of per-thread gdbarch.