[PATCH v2] Documentation: add minimum clang/llvm version

[PATCH v2] Documentation: add minimum clang/llvm version

[Nick Desaulniers]

Based on a vote at the LLVM BoF at Plumbers 2020, we decided to start
small, supporting just one formal upstream release of LLVM for now.

We can probably widen the support window of supported versions over
time.  Also, note that LLVM's release process is different than GCC's.
GCC tends to have 1 major release per year while releasing minor updates
to the past 3 major versions.  LLVM tends to support one major release
and one minor release every six months.

Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
Tested-by: Gustavo A. R. Silva <gustavoars@kernel.org>
Tested-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>
---
Changes V1 -> V2:
* fix typo, as per Will.
* add link to getting LLVM, as per Nathan.
* collect tags.

 Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst     |  4 ++++
 Documentation/process/changes.rst | 15 +++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 19 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst b/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
index 2aac50b97921..3f10a9c47551 100644
--- a/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
+++ b/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+.. _kbuild_llvm:
+
 ==============================
 Building Linux with Clang/LLVM
 ==============================
@@ -73,6 +75,8 @@ Getting Help
 - `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:
+
 Getting LLVM
 -------------
 
diff --git a/Documentation/process/changes.rst b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
index ee741763a3fc..dac17711dc11 100644
--- a/Documentation/process/changes.rst
+++ b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ you probably needn't concern yourself with pcmciautils.
         Program        Minimal version       Command to check the version
 ====================== ===============  ========================================
 GNU C                  4.9              gcc --version
+Clang/LLVM (optional)  10.0.1           clang --version
 GNU make               3.81             make --version
 binutils               2.23             ld -v
 flex                   2.5.35           flex --version
@@ -68,6 +69,15 @@ GCC
 The gcc version requirements may vary depending on the type of CPU in your
 computer.
 
+Clang/LLVM (optional)
+---------------------
+
+The latest formal release of clang and LLVM utils (according to
+`releases.llvm.org <https://releases.llvm.org>`_) are supported for building
+kernels. Older releases aren't guaranteed to work, and we may drop workarounds
+from the kernel that were used to support older versions. Please see additional
+docs on :ref:`Building Linux with Clang/LLVM <kbuild_llvm>`.
+
 Make
 ----
 
@@ -331,6 +341,11 @@ gcc
 
 - <ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gcc/>
 
+Clang/LLVM
+----------
+
+- :ref:`Getting LLVM <getting_llvm>`.
+
 Make
 ----
 
-- 
2.28.0.297.g1956fa8f8d-goog

Re: [PATCH v2] Documentation: add minimum clang/llvm version

[Masahiro Yamada]

On Thu, Aug 27, 2020 at 4:16 AM Nick Desaulniers
<ndesaulniers@google.com> wrote:
>
> Based on a vote at the LLVM BoF at Plumbers 2020, we decided to start
> small, supporting just one formal upstream release of LLVM for now.
>
> We can probably widen the support window of supported versions over
> time.  Also, note that LLVM's release process is different than GCC's.
> GCC tends to have 1 major release per year while releasing minor updates
> to the past 3 major versions.  LLVM tends to support one major release
> and one minor release every six months.
>
> Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
> Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
> Tested-by: Gustavo A. R. Silva <gustavoars@kernel.org>
> Tested-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
> Signed-off-by: Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>
> ---
> Changes V1 -> V2:
> * fix typo, as per Will.
> * add link to getting LLVM, as per Nathan.
> * collect tags.
>
>  Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst     |  4 ++++
>  Documentation/process/changes.rst | 15 +++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 19 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst b/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
> index 2aac50b97921..3f10a9c47551 100644
> --- a/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/kbuild/llvm.rst
> @@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
> +.. _kbuild_llvm:
> +
>  ==============================
>  Building Linux with Clang/LLVM
>  ==============================
> @@ -73,6 +75,8 @@ Getting Help
>  - `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:
> +
>  Getting LLVM
>  -------------
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/process/changes.rst b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> index ee741763a3fc..dac17711dc11 100644
> --- a/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> @@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ you probably needn't concern yourself with pcmciautils.
>          Program        Minimal version       Command to check the version
>  ====================== ===============  ========================================
>  GNU C                  4.9              gcc --version
> +Clang/LLVM (optional)  10.0.1           clang --version


Just playing a nitpick:
Supporting Clang makes GCC optional, so now
"GNU C (optional)"

:-)


Reviewed-by: Masahiro Yamada <masahiroy@kernel.org>


--
Best Regards
Masahiro Yamada

Re: [PATCH v2] Documentation: add minimum clang/llvm version

[Will Deacon]

On Wed, Aug 26, 2020 at 12:15:55PM -0700, Nick Desaulniers wrote:
> Based on a vote at the LLVM BoF at Plumbers 2020, we decided to start
> small, supporting just one formal upstream release of LLVM for now.
> 
> We can probably widen the support window of supported versions over
> time.  Also, note that LLVM's release process is different than GCC's.
> GCC tends to have 1 major release per year while releasing minor updates
> to the past 3 major versions.  LLVM tends to support one major release
> and one minor release every six months.
> 
> Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
> Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
> Tested-by: Gustavo A. R. Silva <gustavoars@kernel.org>
> Tested-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
> Signed-off-by: Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>
> ---
> Changes V1 -> V2:
> * fix typo, as per Will.
> * add link to getting LLVM, as per Nathan.
> * collect tags.

Acked-by: Will Deacon <will@kernel.org>

Will

Re: [PATCH v2] Documentation: add minimum clang/llvm version

[Jonathan Corbet]

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:15:55 -0700
Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com> wrote:

> Based on a vote at the LLVM BoF at Plumbers 2020, we decided to start
> small, supporting just one formal upstream release of LLVM for now.
> 
> We can probably widen the support window of supported versions over
> time.  Also, note that LLVM's release process is different than GCC's.
> GCC tends to have 1 major release per year while releasing minor updates
> to the past 3 major versions.  LLVM tends to support one major release
> and one minor release every six months.
> 
> Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <keescook@chromium.org>
> Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
> Tested-by: Gustavo A. R. Silva <gustavoars@kernel.org>
> Tested-by: Nathan Chancellor <natechancellor@gmail.com>
> Signed-off-by: Nick Desaulniers <ndesaulniers@google.com>

Applied, thanks.

jon