x86: document 64-bit and 32-bit function call convention ABI

- also clean up the calling.h file a tiny bit

Signed-off-by: Ingo Molnar <mingo@elte.hu>

1 files changed, 53 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/calling.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/calling.h
index 2bc162e..0e63c9a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/calling.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/calling.h
@@ -1,5 +1,55 @@
 /*
- * Some macros to handle stack frames in assembly.
+
+ x86 function call convention, 64-bit:
+ -------------------------------------
+  arguments           |  callee-saved      | extra caller-saved | return
+ [callee-clobbered]   |                    | [callee-clobbered] |
+ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ rdi rsi rdx rcx r8-9 | rbx rbp [*] r12-15 | r10-11             | rax, rdx [**]
+
+ ( rsp is obviously invariant across normal function calls. (gcc can 'merge'
+   functions when it sees tail-call optimization possibilities) rflags is
+   clobbered. Leftover arguments are passed over the stack frame.)
+
+ [*]  In the frame-pointers case rbp is fixed to the stack frame.
+
+ [**] for struct return values wider than 64 bits the return convention is a
+      bit more complex: up to 128 bits width we return small structures
+      straight in rax, rdx. For structures larger than that (3 words or
+      larger) the caller puts a pointer to an on-stack return struct
+      [allocated in the caller's stack frame] into the first argument - i.e.
+      into rdi. All other arguments shift up by one in this case.
+      Fortunately this case is rare in the kernel.
+
+For 32-bit we have the following conventions - kernel is built with
+-mregparm=3 and -freg-struct-return:
+
+ x86 function calling convention, 32-bit:
+ ----------------------------------------
+  arguments         | callee-saved        | extra caller-saved | return
+ [callee-clobbered] |                     | [callee-clobbered] |
+ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ eax edx ecx        | ebx edi esi ebp [*] | <none>             | eax, edx [**]
+
+ ( here too esp is obviously invariant across normal function calls. eflags
+   is clobbered. Leftover arguments are passed over the stack frame. )
+
+ [*]  In the frame-pointers case ebp is fixed to the stack frame.
+
+ [**] We build with -freg-struct-return, which on 32-bit means similar
+      semantics as on 64-bit: edx can be used for a second return value
+      (i.e. covering integer and structure sizes up to 64 bits) - after that
+      it gets more complex and more expensive: 3-word or larger struct returns
+      get done in the caller's frame and the pointer to the return struct goes
+      into regparm0, i.e. eax - the other arguments shift up and the
+      function's register parameters degenerate to regparm=2 in essence.
+
+*/
+
+
+/*
+ * 64-bit system call stack frame layout defines and helpers,
+ * for assembly code:
  */
 
 #define R15		  0
@@ -9,7 +59,7 @@
 #define RBP		 32
 #define RBX		 40
 
-/* arguments: interrupts/non tracing syscalls only save upto here*/
+/* arguments: interrupts/non tracing syscalls only save up to here: */
 #define R11		 48
 #define R10		 56
 #define R9		 64
@@ -22,7 +72,7 @@
 #define ORIG_RAX	120       /* + error_code */
 /* end of arguments */
 
-/* cpu exception frame or undefined in case of fast syscall. */
+/* cpu exception frame or undefined in case of fast syscall: */
 #define RIP		128
 #define CS		136
 #define EFLAGS		144