On 11/22/20 8:54 PM, Masahiro Yamada wrote: > The difference between extra-y and always-y is obscure. > > Basically, Kbuild builds targets listed in extra-y and always-y in > visited Makefiles without relying on any dependency. > > The difference is that extra-y is used to list the targets needed for > vmlinux whereas always-y is used to list the targets that must be always > built irrespective of final targets. > > Kbuild skips extra-y when it is building only modules (i.e. > 'make modules'). This is the long-standing behavior since extra-y was > introduced in 2003, and it is explained in that commit log [1]. > > For clarification, this is the extra-y vs always-y table: > > extra-y always-y > 'make' o o > 'make vmlinux' o o > 'make modules' x o
FWIW, I would find y/n easier to comprehend that x/o here. > Kbuild skips extra-y also when building external modules since obviously > it never builds vmlinux. > > Unfortunately, extra-y is wrongly used in many places of upstream code, > and even in external modules. > > Using extra-y in external module Makefiles is wrong. What you should > use is probably always-y or 'targets'. > > The current documentation for extra-y is misleading. I rewrote it, and > moved it to the section 3.7. > > always-y is not documented anywhere. I added. > > [1]: > https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/history/history.git/commit/?id=f94e5fd7e5d09a56a60670a9bb211a791654bba8 > > Signed-off-by: Masahiro Yamada <masahi...@kernel.org> > --- > > Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.rst | 110 +++++++++++++++++++---------- > 1 file changed, 71 insertions(+), 39 deletions(-) > > diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.rst > b/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.rst > index 49afcb1d3695..159e470f2616 100644 > --- a/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.rst > +++ b/Documentation/kbuild/makefiles.rst > @@ -15,13 +15,15 @@ This document describes the Linux kernel Makefiles. > --- 3.4 Objects which export symbols > --- 3.5 Library file goals - lib-y > --- 3.6 Descending down in directories > - --- 3.7 Compilation flags > - --- 3.8 Dependency tracking > - --- 3.9 Custom Rules > - --- 3.10 Command change detection > - --- 3.11 $(CC) support functions > - --- 3.12 $(LD) support functions > - --- 3.13 Script Invocation > + --- 3.7 Non-builtin vmlinux targets - extra-y > + --- 3.8 Always built goals - always- Should that be always-y ? > + --- 3.9 Compilation flags > + --- 3.10 Dependency tracking > + --- 3.11 Custom Rules > + --- 3.12 Command change detection > + --- 3.13 $(CC) support functions > + --- 3.14 $(LD) support functions > + --- 3.15 Script Invocation > > === 4 Host Program support > --- 4.1 Simple Host Program > @@ -321,7 +323,60 @@ more details, with real examples. > names. This allows kbuild to totally skip the directory if the > corresponding `CONFIG_` option is neither 'y' nor 'm'. > > -3.7 Compilation flags > +3.7 Non-builtin vmlinux targets - extra-y > +----------------------------------------- > + > + extra-y specifies targets which are needed for building vmlinux, > + but not combined into built-in.a. > + > + Examples are: > + > + 1) head objects > + > + Some objects must be placed at the head of vmlinux. They are > + directly linked to vmlinux without going through built-in.a > + A typical use-case is an object that contains the entry point. > + > + arch/$(SRCARCH)/Makefile should specify such objects as head-y. > + > + Discussion: > + Given that we can control the section order in our linker script, > + why do we need head-y? > + > + 2) vmlinux linker script > + > + The linker script for vmlinux is located at > + arch/$(SRCARCH)/kernel/vmlinux.lds > + > + Example:: > + > + # arch/x86/kernel/Makefile > + extra-y := head_$(BITS).o > + extra-y += head$(BITS).o > + extra-y += ebda.o > + extra-y += platform-quirks.o > + extra-y += vmlinux.lds > + > + $(extra-y) should only contain targets needed for vmlinux. > + > + Kbuild skips extra-y when vmlinux is apparently not a final goal. > + (e.g. 'make modules', or building external modules) > + > + If you intend to build targets unconditionally, always-y (explained > + in the next section) is the correct syntax to use. > + > +3.8 Always built goals - always-y > +--------------------------------- > + > + always-y specifies targets which are literally always built when > + Kbuild visited the Makefile. visits > + > + Example:: > + # ./Kbuild > + offsets-file := include/generated/asm-offsets.h > + always-y += $(offsets-file) > + > +3.9 Compilation flags > --------------------- > > ccflags-y, asflags-y and ldflags-y Reviewed-by: Randy Dunlap <rdun...@infradead.org> thanks. -- ~Randy
