kbuild: add support for Clang LTO

This change adds build system support for Clang's Link Time
Optimization (LTO). With -flto, instead of ELF object files, Clang
produces LLVM bitcode, which is compiled into native code at link
time, allowing the final binary to be optimized globally. For more
details, see:

  https://llvm.org/docs/LinkTimeOptimization.html

The Kconfig option CONFIG_LTO_CLANG is implemented as a choice,
which defaults to LTO being disabled. To use LTO, the architecture
must select ARCH_SUPPORTS_LTO_CLANG and support:

  - compiling with Clang,
  - compiling all assembly code with Clang's integrated assembler,
  - and linking with LLD.

While using CONFIG_LTO_CLANG_FULL results in the best runtime
performance, the compilation is not scalable in time or
memory. CONFIG_LTO_CLANG_THIN enables ThinLTO, which allows
parallel optimization and faster incremental builds. ThinLTO is
used by default if the architecture also selects
ARCH_SUPPORTS_LTO_CLANG_THIN:

  https://clang.llvm.org/docs/ThinLTO.html

To enable LTO, LLVM tools must be used to handle bitcode files, by
passing LLVM=1 and LLVM_IAS=1 options to make:

  $ make LLVM=1 LLVM_IAS=1 defconfig
  $ scripts/config -e LTO_CLANG_THIN
  $ make LLVM=1 LLVM_IAS=1

To prepare for LTO support with other compilers, common parts are
gated behind the CONFIG_LTO option, and LTO can be disabled for
specific files by filtering out CC_FLAGS_LTO.

Signed-off-by: Sami Tolvanen <samitolvanen@google.com>
Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
Signed-off-by: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20201211184633.3213045-3-samitolvanen@google.com

1 files changed, 91 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/arch/Kconfig b/arch/Kconfig
index 78c6f05b10f9..9494e3931f4b 100644
--- a/arch/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/Kconfig
@@ -631,6 +631,97 @@ config SHADOW_CALL_STACK
 	  reading and writing arbitrary memory may be able to locate them
 	  and hijack control flow by modifying the stacks.
 
+config LTO
+	bool
+	help
+	  Selected if the kernel will be built using the compiler's LTO feature.
+
+config LTO_CLANG
+	bool
+	select LTO
+	help
+	  Selected if the kernel will be built using Clang's LTO feature.
+
+config ARCH_SUPPORTS_LTO_CLANG
+	bool
+	help
+	  An architecture should select this option if it supports:
+	  - compiling with Clang,
+	  - compiling inline assembly with Clang's integrated assembler,
+	  - and linking with LLD.
+
+config ARCH_SUPPORTS_LTO_CLANG_THIN
+	bool
+	help
+	  An architecture should select this option if it can support Clang's
+	  ThinLTO mode.
+
+config HAS_LTO_CLANG
+	def_bool y
+	# Clang >= 11: https://github.com/ClangBuiltLinux/linux/issues/510
+	depends on CC_IS_CLANG && CLANG_VERSION >= 110000 && LD_IS_LLD
+	depends on $(success,test $(LLVM) -eq 1)
+	depends on $(success,test $(LLVM_IAS) -eq 1)
+	depends on $(success,$(NM) --help | head -n 1 | grep -qi llvm)
+	depends on $(success,$(AR) --help | head -n 1 | grep -qi llvm)
+	depends on ARCH_SUPPORTS_LTO_CLANG
+	depends on !FTRACE_MCOUNT_USE_RECORDMCOUNT
+	depends on !KASAN
+	depends on !GCOV_KERNEL
+	depends on !MODVERSIONS
+	help
+	  The compiler and Kconfig options support building with Clang's
+	  LTO.
+
+choice
+	prompt "Link Time Optimization (LTO)"
+	default LTO_NONE
+	help
+	  This option enables Link Time Optimization (LTO), which allows the
+	  compiler to optimize binaries globally.
+
+	  If unsure, select LTO_NONE. Note that LTO is very resource-intensive
+	  so it's disabled by default.
+
+config LTO_NONE
+	bool "None"
+	help
+	  Build the kernel normally, without Link Time Optimization (LTO).
+
+config LTO_CLANG_FULL
+	bool "Clang Full LTO (EXPERIMENTAL)"
+	depends on HAS_LTO_CLANG
+	depends on !COMPILE_TEST
+	select LTO_CLANG
+	help
+          This option enables Clang's full Link Time Optimization (LTO), which
+          allows the compiler to optimize the kernel globally. If you enable
+          this option, the compiler generates LLVM bitcode instead of ELF
+          object files, and the actual compilation from bitcode happens at
+          the LTO link step, which may take several minutes depending on the
+          kernel configuration. More information can be found from LLVM's
+          documentation:
+
+	    https://llvm.org/docs/LinkTimeOptimization.html
+
+	  During link time, this option can use a large amount of RAM, and
+	  may take much longer than the ThinLTO option.
+
+config LTO_CLANG_THIN
+	bool "Clang ThinLTO (EXPERIMENTAL)"
+	depends on HAS_LTO_CLANG && ARCH_SUPPORTS_LTO_CLANG_THIN
+	select LTO_CLANG
+	help
+	  This option enables Clang's ThinLTO, which allows for parallel
+	  optimization and faster incremental compiles compared to the
+	  CONFIG_LTO_CLANG_FULL option. More information can be found
+	  from Clang's documentation:
+
+	    https://clang.llvm.org/docs/ThinLTO.html
+
+	  If unsure, say Y.
+endchoice
+
 config HAVE_ARCH_WITHIN_STACK_FRAMES
 	bool
 	help