elf2e32_next

Equal with vanilla elf2e32 v. 2.1.15

elf2e32_next is dropin replacement for broken elf2e32 in Symbian SDKs. Supported SDKs: prior Nokia_Symbian_Belle_SDK_v1.0. Tested SDKs: S60_3rd_FP2_SDK_v1.1, S60_5th_Edition_SDK_v1.0, UIQ3.3SDK_BETA. SDK help telling about this:

The post-linker is a Symbian-specific build tool. Its principal function is to create executables (DLLs and EXEs) in the particular format required by Symbian OS, known as the E32Image format. Commercial compiler and linkers, such as ARM's RVCT and GNU GCC, cannot directly generate that format. Such compilers do however support a standard output format called the Executable and Linking Format (ELF) (defined at http://www.caldera.com/developers/gabi/). A tool is therefore needed to convert from the ELF format into the E32Image format, and this is the key role of the post-linker. The tool also contains the functionality to maintain and create the DEF files used for freezing the exports of libraries.

Features:

• several times faster than Belle SDK version
• strict validation for E32Image consistency(builded and existed too!)
• meaningfull report if E32Image validation failed
• easy build for different OS: x86 and x64
• fixed bad E32Image output
• fixed crash for specific option combination
• fixed selfcheck failure for STDEXE target
• all public cmdline options supported and their arguments from versions prior Belle SDK
• very strict against illformend cmdline options
• stand alone mode
• robust and simple code for binary hackers
• generate header file with exported functions from DSO file or in post-linker part
• gets exported functions from DSO and store in DEF file
• looking for new bad ELF files for testing
• repacking existing E32 image
• list global variables if --dlldata not specified for any DLL target

How fast:

Running 3 times tests\sdk_all_app_builder.py:

	1	2	3
SDK testing time	0:07:49	0:07:55	0:08:04
x86 testing time	0:02:21	0:02:14	0:02:21
x64 testing time	0:01:48	0:01:49	0:01:56

Changes:

• option --e32input=<file> works as --e32input=<file> --dump=h, was --e32input=<file> --dump=hscdeit
• option --unfrozen and supplied a .def file with the frozen exports produce ready to use DSO, DEF, E32Image. One or more exports declared in supplied a .def missing in supplied ELF file.
• option --sysdef: removed limits up 10 pre defined symbols.

Was: E32 has only real symbols, absent symbols missing; DEF has all symbols - from .def file with the frozen exports and ELF, absent symbols present as normal; output DEF has all symbols, absent symbols present as absent. Therefore second step required to obtain proper DSO and E32Image. At this point supplied a .def updated and used to produce ready to use DSO, DEF, E32Image.

Now: simple produce ready to use DSO, DEF, E32Image, supplied a .def untouched.

• uniform storage of absent symbol(s) in a DEF output. There 2 forms exist: raw output and after processing SDK tools. Both support as input. As output used "processed" form.

You wish to add new enhansements.

If you wish add some new tricks for E32 Image target use new modules:

• E32File for binary generation
• E32Parser for get E32 Image layout properties
• E32Validator for checking E32 Image consistency
• e32common.h for use E32 Image common structures

Build instruction

• Code block users can import and build
• Other - need C++14 compiler and pass -D__EABI__
• Run tests

Strict validation

• Checks for valid params
• Check if DLL has exported symbols

Bad E32Image output

Bad E32Image output

• if you forget to mark function(s) with EXPORT_C/IMPORT_C original version in worst case it creates something unverified in E32Image format. Symptom - DEF file without exported functions. Without crash! Example: tests/kf__speedups.pyd Fix - stop job with error message

elf2e32 --capability=AllFiles+TCB --defoutput="tmp\kf__speedups.def" --elfinput="kf__speedups.pyd" --output="tmp\kf__speedups.tst.pyd" --libpath="SDK_libs" --linkas="kf__speedups{000a0000}.dll" --fpu=softvfp --uid1=0x10000079 --uid2=0x00000000 --uid3=0x00000000 --dso="tmp\kf__speedups{000a0000}.dso" --targettype=DLL

Crash instead E32Image output

• if you forget to mark function(s) with EXPORT_C/IMPORT_C original version in early SDKs stop working from unknown error, later versions crashes at runtime. It's same as EXPORT_C/IMPORT_C case technically. Fix - stop job with error message

• crash at runtime for STDDLL target if exports in DEF frozen and any functions removed in library and option --namedlookup used(implicitly apply to STDDLL). Example: examples/stddll_crashes_elf2e32.zip Fix - create STDDLL in valid E32Image format. Tests(prebuilt with sources): examples/named_lookup_tests.zip. Run from fileman directly. Tested: Nokia C6-01, Nokia 5800

Resume

STDDLL target broken in many ways. There one way it safe - library with fixed and constant interface. Do not use with big libraries with evolving interface. Build DLL target instead with GCC option -fvisibility=default if you don't mark function(s) with EXPORT_C/IMPORT_C.

Stand alone mode

This version can used directly with other build systems. For that it deduce several cmdline option created by build scripts in SDK. As example SDK passes that build options:

elf2e32 --uid1=0x10000079 --uid2=0x20004c45 --uid3=0xe9e357a1 --sid=0xe9e357a1 --debuggable --version=10.0 --capability=none --fpu=softvfp --targettype=STDDLL --output=epoc_stddll_example.dll --definput=stddll_example.def --dso=\Symbian\S60_5th_Edition_SDK_v1.0\epoc32\release\armv5\LIB\stddll_example{000a0000}.dso --defoutput=stddll_example{000a0000}.def --elfinput=stddll_example.dll --linkas=stddll_example{000a0000}[e9e357a1].dll --namedlookup --libpath=\Symbian\S60_5th_Edition_SDK_v1.0\epoc32\release\armv5\LIB

and reduced options:

elf2e32 --uid2=0x20004c45 --uid3=0xe9e357a1 --debuggable --capability=none --targettype=STDDLL --output=epoc_stddll_example.dll --definput=stddll_example.def --defoutput=stddll_example{000a0000}.def --elfinput=stddll_example.dll --namedlookup --dso --libpath=\Symbian\S60_5th_Edition_SDK_v1.0\epoc32\release\armv5\LIB

As you see options for uid1, sid, fpu, version, linkas, stack omitted. Also sysdef option maybe omitted too for ECOM plugins. Option dso argument omitted. If uid2 and uid3 are zero they can omitted too. Rules:

• uid1 - deduced from targettype
• sid - sid=uid3
• fpu - fpu=softvfp
• version = version=10.0
• dso - deduced DSO location is first set argument from: elfinput or E32output or defoutput
• linkas - deduced from elfinput and version and uid3
• sysdef - deduced for Ecom plugins
• stack - exe only, default value 8kb

Selfcheck failure for STDEXE target

For EXE, EXEEXP and STDEXE targets E32ImageHeaderV::iExportDescType has value KImageHdr_ExpD_FullBitmap which means presence of special section for symbols missed in export table. Test is simple: got number of exports, calculate size of BITMAP section and compare with real value in E32ImageHeaderV::iExportDescSize. Usually they doesn't have such section, EXE not supposed to have at all. If no exports - test succeeded because they both equal to zero. But what happens if export present? Test failed! Affected SDKs - S60_5th_Edition_SDK_v1.0, Nokia_Symbian_Belle_SDK_v1.0. Not affected - S60_3rd_FP2_SDK_v1.1. Example: tests\kf_Python_launcher.exe

Repacking existing E32 image

Syntax: elf2e32 --e32input=<input> --output=<output> --compressionmethod=<compression>

Nokia_Symbian_Belle_SDK_v1.0

SDK lacks documentation for elf2e32 syntax. Also new options added to elf2e32 and I have no sources. New options accepted but not processed.

Version numbering

Elf2e32 stores own version in output E32Image. It has particular format: major, minor and build. Major and minor stored as uint8_t, build as uint16_t.

Option version value should come in [Major].[Minor] form. Their values should fit in uint16_t range.