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Unified Diff: tools/relocation_packer/README.TXT

Issue 310483003: Add a host tool to pack R_ARM_RELATIVE relocations in libchrome.<ver>.so. (Closed) Base URL: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git@master
Patch Set: Small readability and test data changes. Created 6 years, 6 months ago
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Index: tools/relocation_packer/README.TXT
diff --git a/tools/relocation_packer/README.TXT b/tools/relocation_packer/README.TXT
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+Introduction:
+-------------
+
+R_ARM_RELATIVE relocations are the bulk of dynamic relocations (the .rel.dyn
+section) in libchrome.<version>.so. The ELF standard representation of them
+is wasteful.
+
+Packing uses run length encoding to store them more efficiently. Packed
+relocations are placed in a new .android.rel.dyn section. Packing reduces
+the footprint of libchrome.<version>.so in the filesystem, in APK downloads,
+and in memory when loaded on the device.
+
+A packed libchrome.<version>.so is designed so that it can be loaded directly
+on Android, but requires the explicit support of a crazy linker that has been
+extended to understand packed relocations. The crazy linker currently only
rmcilroy 2014/06/07 11:49:07 /s/The crazy linker currently only.../Currently pa
simonb (inactive) 2014/06/09 14:39:19 Done.
+supports ARM.
+
+A packed libchrome.<version>.so cannot currently be used with the standard
+Android runtime linker.
+
+See src/*.h for design and implementation notes.
+
+
+Notes:
+------
+
+Packing does not adjust debug data. An unstripped libchrome.<version>.so
+can be packed and will run, but may no longer be useful for debugging.
+
+Unpacking on the device requires the explicit support of an extended crazy
+linker. Adds the following new .dynamic tags, used by the crazy linker to
+find the packed .android.rel.dyn section data:
+
+ DT_ANDROID_ARM_REL_OFFSET = DT_LOPROC (Processor specific: 0x70000000)
+ - The offset of .android.rel.dyn data in libchrome.<version>.so
+ DT_ANDROID_ARM_REL_SIZE = DT_LOPROC + 1 (Processor Specific: 0x70000001)
+ - The size of .android.rel.dyn data in bytes
+
+The format of .android.rel.dyn data is:
+
+ "APR1" identifier
+ N: the number of count-delta pairs in the encoding
+ A: the initial offset
+ N * C,D: N count-delta pairs
+
+All numbers in the encoding stream are stored as LEB128 values. For details
+see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LEB128.
+
+The streaming unpacking algorithm is:
+
+ skip over "APR1"
+ pairs, addr = next leb128 value, next leb128 value
+ emit R_ARM_RELATIVE relocation with r_offset = addr
+ while pairs:
+ count, delta = next leb128 value, next leb128 value
+ while count:
+ addr += delta
+ emit R_ARM_RELATIVE relocation with r_offset = addr
+ count--
+ pairs--;
+
+
+Usage instructions:
+-------------------
+
+To pack relocations, add an empty .android.rel.dyn and then run the tool:
+
+ echo -n 'NULL' >/tmp/small
+ arm-linux-gnueabi-objcopy \
+ --add-section .android.rel.dyn=/tmp/small \
+ libchrome.<version>.so libchrome.<version>.so.packed
+ rm /tmp/small
+ relocations_packer libchrome.<version>.so.packed
+
+To unpack and restore the shared library to its original state:
+
+ cp libchrome.<version>.so.packed unpackable
+ relocations_packer -u unpackable
+ arm-linux-gnueabi-objcopy \
+ --remove-section=.android.rel.dyn unpackable libchrome.<version>.so
+ rm unpackable
+
+
+Bugs & TODOs:
+-------------
+
+Currently only supports arm32. Support for arm64 requires some extension
+and modification.
+
+Requires two free slots in the .dynamic section. Uses these to add data that
+tells the crazy linker where to find the packed .android.rel.dyn data. Fails
+if insufficient free slots exist (use gold --spare-dynamic-slots to increase
+the allocation).
+
+Requires libelf 0.158 or later. Earlier libelf releases may be buggy in
+ways that prevent the packer from working correctly.
+
+
+Testing:
+--------
+
+Unittests run under gtest, on the host system.

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