[llvm] [lldb][AArch64] Add release notes and documentation for SME (PR #66767)

David Spickett via llvm-commits llvm-commits at lists.llvm.org
Fri Oct 6 06:39:13 PDT 2023


================
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+Using LLDB On AArch64 Linux
+===========================
+
+This page explains the details of debugging certain AArch64 extensions using
+LLDB. If something is not mentioned here, it likely works as you would expect.
+
+This is not a replacement for ptrace and Linux Kernel documentation. This covers
+how LLDB has chosen to use those things and how that effects your experience as
+a user.
+
+Scalable Vector Extension (SVE)
+-------------------------------
+
+See `here <https://developer.arm.com/Architectures/Scalable%20Vector%20Extensions>`__
+to learn about the extension and `here <https://kernel.org/doc/html/latest/arch/arm64/sve.html>`__
+for the Linux Kernel's handling of it.
+
+In LLDB you will be able to see the following new registers:
+
+* ``z0-z31`` vector registers, each one has size equal to the vector length.
+* ``p0-p15`` predicate registers, each one containing 1 bit per byte in the vector
+  length. Making each one vector length / 8 sized.
+* ``ffr`` the first fault register, same size as a predicate register.
+* ``vg``, the vector length in "granules". Each granule is 8 bytes.
+
+.. code-block::
+
+       Scalable Vector Extension Registers:
+             vg = 0x0000000000000002
+             z0 = {0x01 0x01 0x01 0x01 0x01 0x01 0x01 0x01 <...> }
+           <...>
+             p0 = {0xff 0xff}
+           <...>
+            ffr = {0xff 0xff}
+
+The example above has a vector length of 16 bytes. Within LLDB you will always
+see "vg" as in the ``vg`` register, which is 2 in this case (8*2 = 16).
+Elsewhere you may see "vq" which is the vector length in quadwords (16 bytes)
+elsewhere. Where you see "vl", it is in bytes.
+
+Changing the Vector Length
+..........................
+
+While you can count the size of a P or Z register, it is intended that ``vg`` be
+used to find the current vector length.
+
+vg can be written. Writing the current vector length changes nothing. If you
+increase the vector length, the registers will likely be reset to 0. If you
+decrease it, LLDB will truncate the Z registers but everything else will be reset
+to 0.
+
+Generally you should not assume that SVE state after changing the vector length
+is in any way the same as it was previously. If you need to do it, do it before
+a function's first use of SVE.
+
+Z Register Presentation
+.......................
+
+LLDB makes no attempt to predict how an SVE Z register will be used. Even if the
----------------
DavidSpickett wrote:

I've expanded this because the intent was to start with how the register is used, and then note how that impacts how it's shown. So that folks realise the connection, or rather lack of, which prevents us from being more clever about this.

So I've added what you suggest, just as a later sentence.

https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/pull/66767


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