[PATCH v3] Documentation/llvm: add documentation on building w/ Clang/LLVM

From: Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>
To: corbet@lwn.net, masahiroy@kernel.org
Cc: rdunlap@infradead.org, michal.lkml@markovi.net,
	linux-kbuild@vger.kernel.org, linux-doc@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, clang-built-linux@googlegroups.com,
	Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>,
	Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>,
	Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>,
	Sedat Dilek <sedat.dilek@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH v3] Documentation/llvm: add documentation on building w/ Clang/LLVM
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2020 15:23:36 -0800	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20200226232336.252872-1-ndesaulniers@google.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20200225210250.64366-1-ndesaulniers@google.com>

Added to kbuild documentation. Provides more official info on building
kernels with Clang and LLVM than our wiki.

Suggested-by: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
Reviewed-by: Sedat Dilek <sedat.dilek@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>
---
Changes V2 -> V3:
* Drop Randy's Suggested-by tag. Sorry Randy, I do appreciate the review
  though.
* Add F: line to MAINTAINERS.

Changes V1 -> V2:
* s/On going/ongoing/
* add Randy's Suggested-by
* add Nathan and Sedat's Reviewed-by
* Upgrade Kees' Sugguested-by to Reviewed-by
* s/suffix/prefix/

 Documentation/kbuild/index.rst |  1 +
 Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst  | 80 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 MAINTAINERS                    |  1 +
 3 files changed, 82 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst

diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/index.rst b/Documentation/kbuild/index.rst
index 0f144fad99a6..3882bd5f7728 100644
--- a/Documentation/kbuild/index.rst
+++ b/Documentation/kbuild/index.rst
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Kernel Build System
 
     issues
     reproducible-builds
+    llvm
 
 .. only::  subproject and html
 
diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst b/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d6c79eb4e23e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+==============================
+Building Linux with Clang/LLVM
+==============================
+
+This document covers how to build the Linux kernel with Clang and LLVM
+utilities.
+
+About
+-----
+
+The Linux kernel has always traditionally been compiled with GNU toolchains
+such as GCC and binutils. Ongoing work has allowed for `Clang
+<https://clang.llvm.org/>`_ and `LLVM <https://llvm.org/>`_ utilities to be
+used as viable substitutes. Distributions such as `Android
+<https://www.android.com/>`_, `ChromeOS
+<https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os>`_, and `OpenMandriva
+<https://www.openmandriva.org/>`_ use Clang built kernels.  `LLVM is a
+collection of toolchain components implemented in terms of C++ objects
+<https://www.aosabook.org/en/llvm.html>`_. Clang is a front-end to LLVM that
+supports C and the GNU C extensions required by the kernel, and is pronounced
+"klang," not "see-lang."
+
+Clang
+-----
+
+The compiler used can be swapped out via `CC=` command line argument to `make`.
+`CC=` should be set when selecting a config and during a build.
+
+	make CC=clang defconfig
+
+	make CC=clang
+
+Cross Compiling
+---------------
+
+A single Clang compiler binary will typically contain all supported backends,
+which can help simplify cross compiling.
+
+	ARCH=arm64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- make CC=clang
+
+`CROSS_COMPILE` is not used to prefix the Clang compiler binary, instead
+`CROSS_COMPILE` is used to set a command line flag: `--target <triple>`. For
+example:
+
+	clang --target aarch64-linux-gnu foo.c
+
+LLVM Utilities
+--------------
+
+LLVM has substitutes for GNU binutils utilities. These can be invoked as
+additional parameters to `make`.
+
+	make CC=clang AS=clang LD=ld.lld AR=llvm-ar NM=llvm-nm STRIP=llvm-strip \\
+	  OBJCOPY=llvm-objcopy OBJDUMP=llvm-objdump OBJSIZE=llvm-objsize \\
+	  READELF=llvm-readelf HOSTCC=clang HOSTCXX=clang++ HOSTAR=llvm-ar \\
+	  HOSTLD=ld.lld
+
+Getting Help
+------------
+
+- `Website <https://clangbuiltlinux.github.io/>`_
+- `Mailing List <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/clang-built-linux>`_: <clang-built-linux@googlegroups.com>
+- `Issue Tracker <https://github.com/ClangBuiltLinux/linux/issues>`_
+- IRC: #clangbuiltlinux on chat.freenode.net
+- `Telegram <https://t.me/ClangBuiltLinux>`_: @ClangBuiltLinux
+- `Wiki <https://github.com/ClangBuiltLinux/linux/wiki>`_
+- `Beginner Bugs <https://github.com/ClangBuiltLinux/linux/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22>`_
+
+Getting LLVM
+-------------
+
+- http://releases.llvm.org/download.html
+- https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project
+- https://llvm.org/docs/GettingStarted.html
+- https://llvm.org/docs/CMake.html
+- https://apt.llvm.org/
+- https://www.archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/llvm/
+- https://github.com/ClangBuiltLinux/tc-build
+- https://github.com/ClangBuiltLinux/linux/wiki/Building-Clang-from-source
+- https://android.googlesource.com/platform/prebuilts/clang/host/linux-x86/
diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index 8b85f22b9b69..79e1f9bfb2b6 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -4124,6 +4124,7 @@ B:	https://github.com/ClangBuiltLinux/linux/issues
 C:	irc://chat.freenode.net/clangbuiltlinux
 S:	Supported
 K:	\b(?i:clang|llvm)\b
+F:	Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
 
 CLEANCACHE API
 M:	Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk <konrad.wilk@oracle.com>
-- 
2.25.0.265.gbab2e86ba0-goog

