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| author | Ulises Mendez Martinez <umendez@google.com> | 2026-09-04 15:07:09 +0000 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@kernel.org> | 2026-09-13 18:15:43 -0700 |
| commit | 7e61560628d17ea6b1d8ee370f6d42694cff8758 (patch) | |
| tree | e6080164b2f4c4c419894bdb3ce4d956ca9a98c5 /Documentation/driver-api/firmware/firmware-usage-guidelines.rst | |
| download | linux-stable-7e61560628d17ea6b1d8ee370f6d42694cff8758.tar.gz linux-stable-7e61560628d17ea6b1d8ee370f6d42694cff8758.zip | |
objtool: Validate disassembler headers in libopcodes probegrafted
commit 3f2de814c059 ("objtool: Fix libopcodes linking with static libraries")
tested for libopcodes availability by linking a test snippet with a forward
declaration of disassemble_init_for_target().
However, testing symbol linkage with an extern declaration only verifies
the presence of the library (.so/.a) and bypasses checking for development
headers (binutils-dev). On systems where libopcodes is present without
development headers installed, the probe succeeds, enabling BUILD_DISAS.
Subsequent compilation of objtool then fails:
fatal error: 'bfd.h' file not found
113 | #include <bfd.h>
Additionally, the probe invokes $(HOSTCC) without $(HOSTCFLAGS), ignoring
any sysroot or include flags specified for the host compiler.
Fix this by including <bfd.h> and <dis-asm.h> directly in the test snippet,
passing $(HOSTCFLAGS) so host compiler options are respected, and defining
PACKAGE="objtool" to satisfy the configuration check in <bfd.h>.
Fixes: 3f2de814c059 ("objtool: Fix libopcodes linking with static libraries")
Fixes: 436326bc525d ("objtool: fix build failure due to missing libopcodes check")
Reported-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>
Assisted-by: Antigravity:Gemini-Next
Signed-off-by: Ulises Mendez Martinez <umendez@google.com>
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/20260904150710.2997558-1-umendez@google.com
Signed-off-by: Josh Poimboeuf <jpoimboe@kernel.org>
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/driver-api/firmware/firmware-usage-guidelines.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/driver-api/firmware/firmware-usage-guidelines.rst | 49 |
1 files changed, 49 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/driver-api/firmware/firmware-usage-guidelines.rst b/Documentation/driver-api/firmware/firmware-usage-guidelines.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..336e91228 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/driver-api/firmware/firmware-usage-guidelines.rst @@ -0,0 +1,49 @@ +=================== +Firmware Guidelines +=================== + +Users switching to a newer kernel should *not* have to install newer +firmware files to keep their hardware working. At the same time updated +firmware files must not cause any regressions for users of older kernel +releases. + +Drivers that use firmware from linux-firmware should follow the rules in +this guide. (Where there is limited control of the firmware, +i.e. company doesn't support Linux, firmwares sourced from misc places, +then of course these rules will not apply strictly.) + +* Firmware files shall be designed in a way that it allows checking for + firmware ABI version changes. It is recommended that firmware files be + versioned with at least a major/minor version. It is suggested that + the firmware files in linux-firmware be named with some device + specific name, and just the major version. The firmware version should + be stored in the firmware header, or as an exception, as part of the + firmware file name, in order to let the driver detact any non-ABI + fixes/changes. The firmware files in linux-firmware should be + overwritten with the newest compatible major version. Newer major + version firmware shall remain compatible with all kernels that load + that major number. + +* If the kernel support for the hardware is normally inactive, or the + hardware isn't available for public consumption, this can + be ignored, until the first kernel release that enables that hardware. + This means no major version bumps without the kernel retaining + backwards compatibility for the older major versions. Minor version + bumps should not introduce new features that newer kernels depend on + non-optionally. + +* If a security fix needs lockstep firmware and kernel fixes in order to + be successful, then all supported major versions in the linux-firmware + repo that are required by currently supported stable/LTS kernels, + should be updated with the security fix. The kernel patches should + detect if the firmware is new enough to declare if the security issue + is fixed. All communications around security fixes should point at + both the firmware and kernel fixes. If a security fix requires + deprecating old major versions, then this should only be done as a + last option, and be stated clearly in all communications. + +* Firmware files that affect the User API (UAPI) shall not introduce + changes that break existing userspace programs. Updates to such firmware + must ensure backward compatibility with existing userspace applications. + This includes maintaining consistent interfaces and behaviors that + userspace programs rely on. |
