RE: [PATCH 32 0/2] Handle the new .note section introduced in Linux

["Balasubrmanian, Vignesh" <Vignesh.Balasubrmanian@amd.com>]

[AMD Official Use Only - AMD Internal Distribution Only]

Hi Christina,

In my test, I read the core file's new note-section data with the program and compare it against the "cupid" instructions. I couldn't find any existing test that validates note-section contents. If full validation is too much, I can instead extend "maint-info-sections.exp" to check only that the section exists.

Please advise.

thanks.
Vigneshbalu.

-----Original Message-----
From: Schimpe, Christina <christina.schimpe@intel.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2025 7:09 PM
To: Balasubrmanian, Vignesh <Vignesh.Balasubrmanian@amd.com>; gdb-patches@sourceware.org; George, Jini Susan <JiniSusan.George@amd.com>; Sharma, Alok Kumar <AlokKumar.Sharma@amd.com>; jhb@FreeBSD.org; simark@simark.ca
Subject: RE: [PATCH 32 0/2] Handle the new .note section introduced in Linux

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Hi Vignesh,

I'll review the patches once we have clarified the opens for the test. Please see my comment below.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vignesh Balasubramanian <vigbalas@amd.com>
> Sent: Montag, 8. Dezember 2025 09:38
> To: gdb-patches@sourceware.org; jinisusan.george@amd.com; Schimpe,
> Christina <christina.schimpe@intel.com>; AlokKumar.Sharma@amd.com;
> jhb@FreeBSD.org; simark@simark.ca
> Cc: Vignesh Balasubramanian <vigbalas@amd.com>
> Subject: [PATCH 32 0/2] Handle the new .note section introduced in
> Linux
>
> The XSAVE layout of the machine where the core file is dumped is not
> visible to GDB. It is assumed currently using some heuristics.
>
> It has been addressed to some extent recently but still uses heuristics.
> https://inbox.sourceware.org/gdb-patches/2628f45a-77f7-8b2c-20aa-
> da65d1d82a37@simark.ca/T/#m4c67d59c18a5962f771ba8ca1e2bee9365ad
> 1ab2
>
> New patches have been committed to the linux kernel (version 6.12) to
> resolve this issue by adding a new .note section which contains
> descriptions of the xsave layout to the core file.
>
> The first of this patch set consumes this new .note section and uses
> that to identify the xsave layout.
> The second one enables gdb to generate a similar .note section if the
> corefile is dumped through the 'gcore' command.
>
> Working on test case patch, will share it in a few days.

In the gdb testsuite we already have tests for (g)core commands and for OS generated corefiles.

Based on the test that you shared initially https://sourceware.org/pipermail/gdb-patches/2025-July/219369.html
I wonder what your test will cover that is not tested already with existing tests.

Would it be sufficient to extend the existing tests in case a linux kernel >= 6.12 is used ?

Christina

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