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+Introduction: |
+------------- |
+ |
+Relative relocations are the bulk of dynamic relocations (the .rel.dyn |
+or .rela.dyn sections) in libchrome.<version>.so. The ELF standard |
+representation of them is wasteful. |
+ |
+Packing uses a combination of run length encoding, delta encoding, and LEB128 |
+encoding to store them more efficiently. Packed relocations are placed in |
+a new .android.rel.dyn or .android.rela.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. Packed relocations are currently |
+only supported on 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 or .android.rela.dyn section data: |
+ |
+ DT_ANDROID_REL_OFFSET = DT_LOOS (Operating System specific: 0x6000000d) |
+ - The offset of packed relocation data in libchrome.<version>.so |
+ DT_ANDROID_REL_SIZE = DT_LOOS + 1 (Operating System Specific: 0x6000000e) |
+ - The size of packed relocation data in bytes |
+ |
+32 bit ARM libraries use relocations without addends. 64 bit ARM libraries |
+use relocations with addends. The packing strategy necessarily differs for |
+the two relocation types. |
+ |
+Where libchrome.<version>.so contains relocations without addends, 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 |
+ |
+Where libchrome.<version>.so contains relocations with addends, the format |
+of .android.rela.dyn data is: |
+ |
+ "APA1" identifier |
+ N: the number of addr-addend delta pairs in the encoding |
+ N * A,V: N addr-addend 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 for 32 bit ARM 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-- |
+ |
+The streaming unpacking algorithm for 64 bit ARM is: |
+ |
+ skip over "APA1" |
+ pairs = next signed leb128 value |
+ addr, addend = 0, 0 |
+ while pairs: |
+ addr += next signed leb128 value |
+ addend += next signed leb128 value |
+ emit R_AARCH64_RELATIVE relocation with r_offset = addr, r_addend = addend |
+ pairs-- |
+ |
+ |
+Usage instructions: |
+------------------- |
+ |
+To pack relocations, add an empty .android.rel.dyn or .android.rela.dyn and |
+then run the tool: |
+ |
+ echo -n 'NULL' >/tmp/small |
+ if file libchrome.<version>.so | grep -q 'ELF 32'; then |
+ arm-linux-androideabi-objcopy |
+ --add-section .android.rel.dyn=/tmp/small |
+ libchrome.<version>.so libchrome.<version>.so.packed |
+ else |
+ aarch64-linux-android-objcopy |
+ --add-section .android.rela.dyn=/tmp/small |
+ libchrome.<version>.so libchrome.<version>.so.packed |
+ fi |
+ rm /tmp/small |
+ relocation_packer libchrome.<version>.so.packed |
+ |
+To unpack and restore the shared library to its original state: |
+ |
+ cp libchrome.<version>.so.packed unpackable |
+ relocation_packer -u unpackable |
+ if file libchrome.<version>.so | grep -q 'ELF 32'; then |
+ arm-linux-androideabi-objcopy \ |
+ --remove-section=.android.rel.dyn unpackable libchrome.<version>.so |
+ else |
+ aarch64-linux-android-objcopy \ |
+ --remove-section=.android.rela.dyn unpackable libchrome.<version>.so |
+ endif |
+ rm unpackable |
+ |
+ |
+Bugs & TODOs: |
+------------- |
+ |
+Requires two free slots in the .dynamic section. Uses these to add data that |
+tells the crazy linker where to find the packed relocation 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. |