5.8, 5.6 and earlier had a good core perl compiler, but we are much better.
Still missing in general are:
- attribute handlers (i.e. run-time attributes)
- smartmatch subrefs
- compile-time stash-magic delete renames to ANON
- p5p Carp >= 1.42 die recursion
B::C is stable and used in production for -O0 and -O3 until 5.24.x
5.26.0 broke Carp, you should use cperl then.
For bigger programs not all methods in certain packages or eval strings
might be detected, you'd need to add them manually via
-u<packagename>.
B::CC is very unstable, work is in progress. Certain alioth benchmarks
are 6x faster. Recursive function calls and certain dynamic ops are
not yet supported.
The Bytecode compiler is only stable for >=5.8.
The CPAN Bytecode compiler is disabled for 5.6, we keep the old.
The old core compiler fails for 50% of the testcases.
Windows and other OS with strict linking <5.16 will fail to install due to some
not exported libperl symbols. Looks at the patches in ramblings or use cperl,
which includes the compilers.
Security:
The latest released compiler version is only recommended up to 5.14.4 or cperl.
Newer perl versions do work, but 5.16-5.30 upstream are too insecure
to be recommended for production.
5.20 finally properly handles unicode names, but identifiers and package
names are still handled as binary blobs, which could lead to TR39 issues.
Check your code automatically (not manually, because new identifiers
are not identifiable anymore) for syntax spoofs, confusables, strip
\\0 from package names and enable use warnings 'syscalls'.
See http://websec.github.io/unicode-security-guide/
cperl since 5.26 fixed all the known issues.
C and CC: Same ok and less failures as with 5.6, 5.8 and 5.9.4.
In 5.8.8 and 5.8.9 we have much less errors in the testsuite for the
new CPAN compiler and the CORE compiler. See below.
Most B::C and B::CC bugs fixed.
Compatibility added for all major releases since 5.6.2
Open Problems for B::C:
See github issues.
See below at the detailed status of the major releases.
TEST STATUS
-----------
Regularily tested with every cperl update, since it is in core there.
Regularily tested on cygwin1.7, darwin 64bit intel, centos5, centos6, centos7,
debian5, debian6, freebsd7, freebsd8, solaris10/intel sunpro, openbsd49, netbsd.
With the respective default gcc and clang compilers, with the latest address-sanitizer
versions.
Not so regurarily on darwin 10.4/ppc, strawberry-5.10.1, strawberry-5.12.2,
strawberry-5.14, strawberry-5.16 and activeperl-5.10.1/msvc8
List of failed tests:
CORE (old)
----
5.6.2:
t/bytecode 3,6,8..10,12,15,16,18,28,31,35,38,39
t/c 8,15,16,22,27,28,31 | 27 worked in 5.6.2!
t/c_o1 8,15,16,22,27,28,31
t/c_o2 8,15,16,22,27,28,31
t/cc 15,18,21,25,27,28,30..32
t/cc_o1 15,18,21,25,27,28,30..32
t/cc_o2 10,15,16,18,21,25,26,27,28,30..32
5.8: | non-threaded
t/bytecode 27,44,33,39
t/c 11,14,15,20,23,27..29,31,101,102 | 5,7-12,14-20,22-23,25,27,28,30,31
t/c_o1 1,3-8,10..12,14,15,17..25,27..29,31,101,102| 7-12,14-20,22-23,25,27,28,30,31
t/c_o2 1,3-12,14,15,17..25,27..29,31,101,102 | 7-12,14-20,22-23,25,27,28,30,31
t/cc 7,11,14,15,18..21,23..25,28..32,101..103
t/cc_o1 7,11,14,15,18..21,23..32,101..103
t/cc_o2 7,10,11,14..16,18-21,23..32,101..103
Recipe:
p=perl5.6.2
t/testc.sh -q -c
for t in $(seq -f"%02.0f" 32); do rm ccode 2>/dev/null; $p -MO=C,-occode.c ccode$t.pl 2>/dev/null && $p script/cc_harness ccode.c -o ccode >/dev/null; echo -n "$t: "; $p ccode$t.pl; echo -n " => "; ./ccode; echo; done
p=perl5.8.9
for t in $(seq -f"%02.0f" 35); do rm ccode 2>/dev/null; $p -MO=C,-occode.c ccode$t.pl 2>/dev/null && $p script/cc_harness -Bstatic ccode.c -o ccode >/dev/null; echo -n "$t: "; $p ccode$t.pl; echo -n " => "; ./ccode; echo; done
p=perl5.8.9d-nt
for t in $(seq -f"%02.0f" 35); do rm ccode 2>/dev/null; $p -MO=C,-occode.c ccode$t.pl 2>/dev/null && $p script/cc_harness -Bdynamic ccode.c -o ccode >/dev/null; echo -n "$t: "; $p ccode$t.pl; echo -n " => "; ./ccode; echo; done
B::C (new)
----
t/testc.sh -q -c; t/testcc.sh -q -c or make test TEST_VERBOSE=1
See t/test.pl for the TODO tests:
Only 42..43 < 5.12
CPAN Modules
------------
See t/modules.t:is_todo() We only try to compile use module, not the testsuite.
We only try B::C with -O3 so far.
The full module testsuite is run with t/testm.sh -t [OPTS] Module
Compile-time status from top100:
5.6.2 fail 12.5% Test::* Moose* DateTime* FCGI
5.8.5 pass 100%
5.8.8 fail 1% Test::Tester
5.8.9 pass 100%
5.10.1 pass 100%
Attribute::Handlers #TODO 5.10.1d with threads
5.12.5 pass 100%
5.14.4 pass 100%
5.16.3 pass 100%
5.18.4 fail 1% Moose #TODO 5.18 without threads
5.20.3 fail 4% Path::Class, DateTime::TimeZone, DateTime::Locale, DateTime
5.22.2 fail 4% Text::Wrap, Test::Harness, Pod::Simple, IO
5.24.3 fail 5% Test::Simple, Test::Exception, List::MoreUtils, Test::Tester,
Test::NoWarnings
5.24.4c fail 4% Path::Class, DateTime::TimeZone, DateTime::Locale, DateTime
5.26-5.30 fail all modules with Carp (endless recursion stack overflow)
5.26.3c fail 4% Path::Class, DateTime*
5.28.2c fail 4% Path::Class, DateTime*
5.30.0c fail 4% Path::Class, DateTime*
cperl status
------------
C and CC are shipped with cperl, hence it is supported.
Also all merges from core which are not rejected.
5.26-5.30 non-cperl status
-----------
The new p5p signatures are not yet supported (the 3 ARG ops). It makes not much
sense to add it while Carp is still broken, though this might be locally
patched away. Patches accepted.
5.24 status
-----------
stable C, used in production
Bytecode still broken, some CC tests got broken with 5.23.9
5.22 status
-----------
Bytecode: broken by upstream. p5p refused to fix it.
sibling/lastsib with PERL_OP_PARENT broken for sort (18,19,25)
5.20 status
-----------
fully supported since 1.48
5.18 status
-----------
fully supported since 1.48
5.10-5.30 status
----------------------------------------
TODO for B::C
see github issues https://github.com/rurban/perl-compiler/issues/
Most of them have either easy workarounds or are not fixable.
- attribute handlers (i.e. run-time attributes)
- smartmatch subrefs
- compile-time stash-magic delete renames to ANON
- p5p Carp >= 1.42 die recursion
Fix CC
several other issues detected (and mostly fixed) by Heinz Knutzen
minimize pad copies from local to pad
label not defined (utf8::SWASHNEW)
-faelem is fast but still a bit unstable
DONE
----
fixed with 1.48:
bytecode compiler for >=5.18
C/CC walker, dumping all external, non compiler added packages properly
and detecting required compiler added packages also.
RTLD_NOLOAD on BSD for run-time remapping of .so syms
Moose XS init
fixed with 1.47:
run-time remapping of .so syms with special support by Encode-2.58
fix %INC cleanup
non-const %warnings::Bits with -O3
lexical subs threaded
Coro
some readonly related problems: re-eval, hashes
byteloader binmode for 5.18
mro and maybe::next
fixed with 1.46:
global destruction of our and global objects
utf8 qr and utf8 /i initialization with -fppaddr
@-
lexical warnings on 5.8
-O4 CvSTART cops
mro: c3 and maybe|next:: method calls
Encode dlsym patching of compile-time XS handles (Net::DNS, IO::Socket::SSL)
$/, $@ and $\, esp. when localized
dump all used @ISA's
GvFORM pseudo CVs (B::FM) on 5.10
__DATA__ blocks in packages without printing wrong warnings
Replace each %hash with foreach sort keys (no random misses of functions)
fixed with 1.44:
SvLEN and PV ptr for empty shared hash keys
cop_hints to support lexical numeric hints pragmas (use bytes, use open, ...)
-O3 with ~ and ~~ formatstrings
skip saving a cv on defined(&cv)
format STDOUT/STDERR
Save empty bodyless subs if they exist, for signal handlers, prototypes declarations
and cvrefs
PVMG PV overwriting the RV, overload sub
fixed with 1.43:
static strings and heks with LEN=0
restore of many more dynamic magic variables: @+,@-,$$,${^UNICODE} ${^UTF8LOCALE}
$; $\ $, $/ $" $| $^A $^L $: $% $- $= $^H $^R
and allow other GP entries for ENV, ARGV, ...
do not set newGP for symbols, thus do not disturb pre-initialization, esp. XS CVs
do not boot internal core XS packages twice
better load-order for dynaloaded modules, which helps esp. on windows
improved deeper walker, detect more missing empty packages
HvAUX init without magic (iterators)
new PADLIST type
unicode and binary strings and heks
COW support
proper len of QR refs
stash symtab magic for PMf_ONCE m?? and reset
lexwarns
(See Changes for all fixes)
fixed with 1.42:
my_share_hek (global destruction)
Turn off CvDYNFILE
save @ISA of empty child classes
fixed with 1.40:
static PerlIO Layers
synced %INC
defer eval section after dl_init
fixed with 1.39:
improved eval AUTOLOAD
fixed with 1.37:
fixed wrong test 46, test for Exporter STASH in *main:: STASH
copy-on-grow with LEN=0 and FAKE clash with share_hek
share_hek re-implemented
init of READONLY hash keys
re-hash everything at startup (oCERT-2011-003)
find UNIVERSAL methods, load SelectSaver with IO
hv_clear_placeholders
%+, %-, %!
%SIG
magic->PTR when SV (>5.6)
attributes::reftype
inc_cleanup (partially)
CV prototypes (>5.10)
ignore aelemfast SPECIAL pads (5.8.[45])
strip version object overload from XS packages (i91)
restore stdio handles from BEGIN blocks (Test::NoWarnings)
B::COP::stashflags (>5.15.4)
lost PL_regex_pad, (5.15 threaded)
fixed with 1.36:
5.15 XSLoader and hash init
support lexical warnings
better __DATA__ detection and support,
still IO::File not IO::Scalar handle though
fixed test 29 mostly (use IO)
fixed with 1.35:
improve package_pv detection for methods,
detect previously missing packages within the main source file
run-time %ENV
fixed with 1.32:
improved scanner, try_isa, mark_package force, ...
do not gp_free shared GPs
Internals::V
dl_init of cached deleted packages
fixed with 1.30:
cc_queue sort 18 ccpp
dl_init regression
xs_init (soname by context)
5.14 support
package_pv detection for method_named
AUTOLOAD goto xsub and SelfLoader esp. on 5.8 (27).
use AutoLoader works okay. (test 27, 31)
>5.11.3 test 32 catch evaltry die
fixed test 29 >5.10 DEBUGGING for -O0 (use IO)
fixed xpvio off-by-one error for 5.10 (test 29)
mark a package which is autoloaded from XS
fixed forbidden REGEXP IVX/NVX access since 5.12
fixed evaltry (test 12), NVX was shared with 2 xpad_cop_seq ints
which accidently just worked before 1.17, but not after using the %g
representation changed with 1.16. Also fixed in Bytecode, fixing tests 9,10,12.
fixed several minor bugs only in modules, no short testcases yet. See Changes
fixed PP_ENTEREVAL (CC test 12) for 5.10 with 1.14.
Nullify ending retop for the string to CALLRUNOPS.
fixed __DATA__ IO (test 15) on 5.10 and 5.11 with 1.12.
On 5.6 it is hard to fix (re-implement PerlIO::scalar).
fixed RV => IV on blead (test 16 tiearray magic obj HVref) with 1.11
fixed GV -> BM magic (index) without needing fbm_compile with 1.09. Just 5.8.9 not.
fixed non-xsub AUTOLOAD (31) with 1.08
ccode17_o1 namepad[1] to PL_sv_undef
GVCV for 5.11 (27)
runtime require $scalar (28)
RVs for 5.11 (29)
index (fbm_compile) for GVs fixed with 1.04_31
test 14+23 destruction of GvPVX of the empty main:: stash fixed by adding a dummy.
cccode19 sort failure via custom sortcv fixed with B::CC 1.02_03. endless loop
autoload subs from main::, from packages it works ok (test 8)
fixed with 1.04_25
panic: illegal pad in pad_new: 0x18c4368[0x18cf6e8] with DEBUGGING only
CvPADLIST: curpad<=>comppad
fixed with 1.04_22
pvx: seems to be fixed now in bc, and c
With the move of the pvx field from xpv to the sv, we have to solve
that differently for the Bytecode and C backend.
Bytecode can simply mimic the old XPV behaviour of a 3 field struct
(pvx, cur, len) to simplify pv handling.
hv: crash at invalid entry in hv_store in B::HV::save fixed
hek: new implementation, needs static optimization via heksect
regexp: match works, split still broken
bc 10: padv+sassign => Modification of a read-only value attempted at
bytecode10.pl line 1. Only on cygwin, not on linux!
The bytecode is exactly the same, it must be pp_entersub() with &$cv()
Is FAKE flag of the padsv is missing or should we check for readonly pads?
g <1> entersub[t4] vKS/TARG,1
=> Perl_sv_force_normal_flags()
if (SvREADONLY(sv) && (!SvFAKE(sv)) && (IN_PERL_RUNTIME)) => die
SV = NULL(0x0) at 0x12207c0
REFCNT = 2147483129
FLAGS = (READONLY)
-Dt crash fixed by core patch pl-dump-const.patch
cop_io status?
http://www.xray.mpe.mpg.de/mailing-lists/perl5-porters/2006-05/msg00770.html
5.8 status
----------
I've restored full 5.8 backwards compatibility, mainly for test comparison.
But since the new B::C compiler is better than the CORE compiler, it is installed.
TEST COVERAGE
-------------
Bytecode:
coverage for ret(0) ldsv(1) ldop(2) stsv(3) stop(4) stpv(5) ldspecsv(6)
ldspecsvx(7) newsv(8) newsvx(9) nop(10) newop(11) newopx(12) newopn(13)
newpv(14) pv_cur(15) pv_free(16) sv_upgrade(17) sv_refcnt(18) sv_refcnt_add(19)
sv_flags(20) xrv(21) xpv(22) xpv_cur(23) xpv_len(24) xiv(25) xnv(26)
xlv_targoff(27) xlv_targlen(28) xlv_targ(29) xlv_type(30) xbm_useful(31)
xbm_previous(32) xbm_rare(33) xfm_lines(34) comment(35) xio_lines(36) xio_page(37)
xio_page_len(38) xio_lines_left(39) xio_top_name(40) xio_top_gv(41) xio_fmt_name(42)
xio_fmt_gv(43) xio_bottom_name(44) xio_bottom_gv(45) xio_type(46) xio_flags(47)
xcv_xsubany(48) xcv_stash(49) xcv_start(50) xcv_root(51) xcv_gv(52) xcv_file(53)
xcv_depth(54) xcv_padlist(55) xcv_outside(56) xcv_outside_seq(57) xcv_flags(58)
av_extend(59) av_pushx(60) av_push(61) xav_fill(62) xav_max(63) xav_flags(64)
xhv_name(65) hv_store(66) sv_magic(67) mg_obj(68) mg_private(69) mg_flags(70)
mg_name(71) mg_namex(72) xmg_stash(73) gv_fetchpv(74) gv_fetchpvx(75) gv_stashpv(76)
gv_stashpvx(77) gp_sv(78) gp_refcnt(79) gp_refcnt_add(80) gp_av(81) gp_hv(82)
gp_cv(83) gp_file(84) gp_io(85) gp_form(86) gp_cvgen(87) gp_line(88) gp_share(89)
xgv_flags(90) op_next(91) op_sibling(92) op_ppaddr(93) op_targ(94) op_type(95)
op_opt(96) op_latefree(97) op_latefreed(98) op_attached(99) op_first(102) op_last(103)
op_pmreplroot(105) op_pmreplstart(106) op_pmreplrootpo(108) op_pmstash(109)
op_pmreplrootgv(110) pregcomp(111) op_pmflags(112) unused(113) op_reflags(114)
op_sv(115) op_pv(117) op_pv_tr(118) op_redoop(119) op_nextop(120) op_lastop(121)
cop_label(122) cop_stash(125) cop_filegv(126) push_begin(134) push_init(135)
push_end(136) curstash(137) defstash(138) data(139) incav(140) load_glob(141)
regex_padav(142) comppad_name(144) xgv_stash(145) signal(146) formfeed(147)
Abbrevations
------------
bc B::ByteCode
c B::C
cc B::CC
-D -DDEBUGGING perl, also used as d version suffix, eg 5.8.8d
-nt not threaded perl
2019-05-06 08:53:40 rurban