[GHC] #11395: The via-C code generation backend is incompatible with gcc 5.3.1 on m68k (ELF)

[GHC]

#11395: The via-C code generation backend is incompatible with gcc 5.3.1 on m68k
(ELF)
-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
           Reporter:  mkarcher       |             Owner:
               Type:  bug            |            Status:  new
           Priority:  normal         |         Milestone:
          Component:  Compiler       |           Version:  7.10.2
           Keywords:                 |  Operating System:  Linux
       Architecture:  m68k           |   Type of failure:  GHC doesn't work
                                     |  at all
          Test Case:                 |        Blocked By:
           Blocking:                 |   Related Tickets:
Differential Rev(s):                 |         Wiki Page:
-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
 ghc is generating C code like in the following simplified example:

 demo1.c:
 {{{
 #include <assert.h>

 extern void* int_returning_function();

 typedef int (*int_f_ptr)();

 int main(void)
 {
         int result;
         {
                 int_f_ptr correctly_typed_pointer;
                 correctly_typed_pointer =
 (int_f_ptr)int_returning_function;
                 result = correctly_typed_pointer();
         }
         assert(result == 42);
         return 0;
 }
 }}}

 demo2.c:
 {{{
 int int_returning_function()
 {
         return 42;
 }
 }}}

 This code fails to work on m68k with gcc-5.3.1 if optimization is turned
 on. The real-life example from ghc is rts/Schedule.c:raiseExceptionHelper
 as int_returning_function and rts/Exception.cmm:stg_raisezh as main. The
 reason it fails is that on m68k, a function returning a pointer returns
 the result in %a0, while a function returning an integer returns it in
 %d0. If optimization is enabled, gcc elides the function pointer and calls
 the function as-if it were called directly. Without optimization, gcc
 expects the result to be in %d0, where it actually is.

 In my oppinion, gcc is allowed to do that, because according to N843 (C99
 draft), 6.2.7 #2 "All declarations that  refer  to  the  same  object  or
 function shall have compatible type; otherwise, the behavior is
 undefined." is violated in this example. Compatibility of return types is
 defined in 6.7.5.3 #11 "For two function types to be compatible, both
 shall specify compatible return types. Moreover, [...]" which is clearly
 violated.

 If you just look at demo1.c and assume that 6.2.7 #2 is *not* violated,
 int_returning_function would in fact be a function returning a pointer. In
 that case, compiling demo1.c would violate 6.3.2.3 #8 "If a converted
 pointer is used to call a function whose type is not compatible with the
 pointed-to type, the behavior is undefined." and/or 6.5.2.2 "If  the
 function  is  defined with a type that is not compatible with the type (of
 the expression) pointed to by the expression  that denotes the called
 function, the behavior is undefined."

 You might want to discuss this issue with the gcc developers, but I don't
 see a standard claus justifying the approach of declaring all functions
 returning StgFunPtr and casting them to the right type.

 If you cross-compile the source tarball Debian claims to be 7.10.3-rc1 to
 m68k using gcc 5.3.1, ghc crashes on startup because stg_raisezh gets a
 wrong value as frame_type and tries to cancel an STM transaction that does
 not exist at all.

--
Ticket URL: <http://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/11395>
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