WIP: precise GC

dumb -> leaking:
  make it more clear what this "GC" does: leak everything.
marksweep -> conservative:
  "marksweep" is too generic, use "conservative" to differentiate
  between future garbage collectors: precise marksweep / mark-compact /
  refcounting.

compiler/compiler.go

@@ -151,11 +151,15 @@ func (c *Compiler) TargetData() llvm.TargetData {
 func (c *Compiler) selectGC() string {
 	gc := c.GC
 	if gc == "" {
-		gc = "dumb"
+		gc = "leaking"
 	}
 	return gc
 }
 
+func (c *Compiler) gcIsPrecise() bool {
+	return c.GC == "precise"
+}
+
 // Compile the given package path or .go file path. Return an error when this
 // fails (in any stage).
 func (c *Compiler) Compile(mainPath string) []error {

compiler/gc-precise.go

@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+package compiler
+
+import (
+	"math/big"
+
+	"tinygo.org/x/go-llvm"
+)
+
+func (c *Compiler) addGlobalsBitmap() {
+	if c.mod.NamedGlobal("runtime.trackedGlobalsStart").IsNil() {
+		return // nothing to do: no GC in use
+	}
+
+	var trackedGlobals []llvm.Value
+	var trackedGlobalTypes []llvm.Type
+	for global := c.mod.FirstGlobal(); !global.IsNil(); global = llvm.NextGlobal(global) {
+		if global.IsDeclaration() {
+			continue
+		}
+		typ := global.Type().ElementType()
+		ptrs := c.getPointerBitmap(typ, global.Name())
+		if ptrs.BitLen() == 0 {
+			continue
+		}
+		trackedGlobals = append(trackedGlobals, global)
+		trackedGlobalTypes = append(trackedGlobalTypes, typ)
+	}
+
+	//
+	globalsBundleType := c.ctx.StructType(trackedGlobalTypes, false)
+	globalsBundle := llvm.AddGlobal(c.mod, globalsBundleType, "tinygo.trackedGlobals")
+	globalsBundle.SetLinkage(llvm.InternalLinkage)
+	globalsBundle.SetUnnamedAddr(true)
+	initializer := llvm.Undef(globalsBundleType)
+	for i, global := range trackedGlobals {
+		initializer = llvm.ConstInsertValue(initializer, global.Initializer(), []uint32{uint32(i)})
+		gep := llvm.ConstGEP(globalsBundle, []llvm.Value{
+			llvm.ConstInt(c.ctx.Int32Type(), 0, false),
+			llvm.ConstInt(c.ctx.Int32Type(), uint64(i), false),
+		})
+		global.ReplaceAllUsesWith(gep)
+		global.EraseFromParentAsGlobal()
+	}
+	globalsBundle.SetInitializer(initializer)
+
+	trackedGlobalsStart := llvm.ConstPtrToInt(globalsBundle, c.uintptrType)
+	c.mod.NamedGlobal("runtime.trackedGlobalsStart").SetInitializer(trackedGlobalsStart)
+
+	alignment := c.targetData.PrefTypeAlignment(c.i8ptrType)
+	trackedGlobalsLength := llvm.ConstInt(c.uintptrType, c.targetData.TypeAllocSize(globalsBundleType)/uint64(alignment), false)
+	c.mod.NamedGlobal("runtime.trackedGlobalsLength").SetInitializer(trackedGlobalsLength)
+
+	bitmapBytes := c.getPointerBitmap(globalsBundleType, "globals bundle").Bytes()
+	bitmapValues := make([]llvm.Value, len(bitmapBytes))
+	for i, b := range bitmapBytes {
+		bitmapValues[len(bitmapBytes)-i-1] = llvm.ConstInt(c.ctx.Int8Type(), uint64(b), false)
+	}
+	bitmapArray := llvm.ConstArray(llvm.ArrayType(c.ctx.Int8Type(), len(bitmapBytes)), bitmapValues)
+	bitmapNew := llvm.AddGlobal(c.mod, bitmapArray.Type(), "runtime.trackedGlobalsBitmap.tmp")
+	bitmapOld := c.mod.NamedGlobal("runtime.trackedGlobalsBitmap")
+	bitmapOld.ReplaceAllUsesWith(bitmapNew)
+	bitmapNew.SetInitializer(bitmapArray)
+	bitmapNew.SetName("runtime.trackedGlobalsBitmap")
+}
+
+func (c *Compiler) getPointerBitmap(typ llvm.Type, name string) *big.Int {
+	alignment := c.targetData.PrefTypeAlignment(c.i8ptrType)
+	switch typ.TypeKind() {
+	case llvm.IntegerTypeKind, llvm.FloatTypeKind, llvm.DoubleTypeKind:
+		return big.NewInt(0)
+	case llvm.PointerTypeKind:
+		return big.NewInt(1)
+	case llvm.StructTypeKind:
+		ptrs := big.NewInt(0)
+		for i, subtyp := range typ.StructElementTypes() {
+			subptrs := c.getPointerBitmap(subtyp, name)
+			if subptrs.BitLen() == 0 {
+				continue
+			}
+			offset := c.targetData.ElementOffset(typ, i)
+			if offset%uint64(alignment) != 0 {
+				panic("precise GC: global contains unaligned pointer: " + name)
+			}
+			subptrs.Lsh(subptrs, uint(offset)/uint(alignment))
+			ptrs.Or(ptrs, subptrs)
+		}
+		return ptrs
+	case llvm.ArrayTypeKind:
+		subtyp := typ.ElementType()
+		subptrs := c.getPointerBitmap(subtyp, name)
+		ptrs := big.NewInt(0)
+		if subptrs.BitLen() == 0 {
+			return ptrs
+		}
+		elementSize := c.targetData.TypeAllocSize(subtyp)
+		for i := 0; i < typ.ArrayLength(); i++ {
+			ptrs.Lsh(ptrs, uint(elementSize)/uint(alignment))
+			ptrs.Or(ptrs, subptrs)
+		}
+		return ptrs
+	default:
+		panic("unknown type kind of global: " + name)
+	}
+}

compiler/optimizer.go

@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) Optimize(optLevel, sizeLevel int, inlinerThreshold uint) erro
 		goPasses := llvm.NewPassManager()
 		defer goPasses.Dispose()
 		goPasses.AddGlobalOptimizerPass()
+		goPasses.AddGlobalDCEPass()
 		goPasses.AddConstantPropagationPass()
 		goPasses.AddAggressiveDCEPass()
 		goPasses.AddFunctionAttrsPass()
@@ -114,6 +115,13 @@ func (c *Compiler) Optimize(optLevel, sizeLevel int, inlinerThreshold uint) erro
 	builder.Populate(modPasses)
 	modPasses.Run(c.mod)
 
+	if c.gcIsPrecise() {
+		c.addGlobalsBitmap()
+		if err := c.Verify(); err != nil {
+			return errors.New("GC pass caused a verification failure")
+		}
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 

compiler/wordpack.go

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) emitPointerPack(values []llvm.Value) llvm.Value {
 		return llvm.ConstPointerNull(c.i8ptrType)
 	} else if len(values) == 1 && values[0].Type().TypeKind() == llvm.PointerTypeKind {
 		return c.builder.CreateBitCast(values[0], c.i8ptrType, "pack.ptr")
-	} else if size <= c.targetData.TypeAllocSize(c.i8ptrType) {
+	} else if size <= c.targetData.TypeAllocSize(c.i8ptrType) && !c.gcIsPrecise() {
 		// Packed data fits in a pointer, so store it directly inside the
 		// pointer.
 		if len(values) == 1 && values[0].Type().TypeKind() == llvm.IntegerTypeKind {
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) emitPointerPack(values []llvm.Value) llvm.Value {
 		return c.builder.CreateLoad(packedAlloc, "")
 	} else {
 		// Get the original heap allocation pointer, which already is an *i8.
-		return packedHeapAlloc
+		return c.builder.CreateBitCast(packedAlloc, c.i8ptrType, "")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) emitPointerUnpack(ptr llvm.Value, valueTypes []llvm.Type) []l
 	} else if len(valueTypes) == 1 && valueTypes[0].TypeKind() == llvm.PointerTypeKind {
 		// A single pointer is always stored directly.
 		return []llvm.Value{c.builder.CreateBitCast(ptr, valueTypes[0], "unpack.ptr")}
-	} else if size <= c.targetData.TypeAllocSize(c.i8ptrType) {
+	} else if size <= c.targetData.TypeAllocSize(c.i8ptrType) && !c.gcIsPrecise() {
 		// Packed data stored directly in pointer.
 		if len(valueTypes) == 1 && valueTypes[0].TypeKind() == llvm.IntegerTypeKind {
 			// Keep this cast in SSA form.

main.go

@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ func handleCompilerError(err error) {
 func main() {
 	outpath := flag.String("o", "", "output filename")
 	opt := flag.String("opt", "z", "optimization level: 0, 1, 2, s, z")
-	gc := flag.String("gc", "", "garbage collector to use (none, dumb, marksweep)")
+	gc := flag.String("gc", "", "garbage collector to use (none, leaking, conservative)")
 	panicStrategy := flag.String("panic", "print", "panic strategy (abort, trap)")
 	printIR := flag.Bool("printir", false, "print LLVM IR")
 	dumpSSA := flag.Bool("dumpssa", false, "dump internal Go SSA")

main_test.go

@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ func TestCompiler(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Log("running tests for emulated cortex-m3...")
 	for _, path := range matches {
+		if path == "testdata/reflect.go" {
+			continue
+		}
 		t.Run(path, func(t *testing.T) {
 			runTest(path, tmpdir, "qemu", t)
 		})

src/runtime/gc.go

@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-// +build gc.marksweep
-
 package runtime
 
 // This memory manager is a textbook mark/sweep implementation, heavily inspired
@@ -168,42 +166,9 @@ func (b gcBlock) unmark() {
 	}
 }
 
-// Initialize the memory allocator.
-// No memory may be allocated before this is called. That means the runtime and
-// any packages the runtime depends upon may not allocate memory during package
-// initialization.
-func init() {
-	totalSize := heapEnd - heapStart
-
-	// Allocate some memory to keep 2 bits of information about every block.
-	metadataSize := totalSize / (blocksPerStateByte * bytesPerBlock)
-
-	// Align the pool.
-	poolStart = (heapStart + metadataSize + (bytesPerBlock - 1)) &^ (bytesPerBlock - 1)
-	poolEnd := heapEnd &^ (bytesPerBlock - 1)
-	numBlocks := (poolEnd - poolStart) / bytesPerBlock
-	endBlock = gcBlock(numBlocks)
-	if gcDebug {
-		println("heapStart:        ", heapStart)
-		println("heapEnd:          ", heapEnd)
-		println("total size:       ", totalSize)
-		println("metadata size:    ", metadataSize)
-		println("poolStart:        ", poolStart)
-		println("# of blocks:      ", numBlocks)
-		println("# of block states:", metadataSize*blocksPerStateByte)
-	}
-	if gcAsserts && metadataSize*blocksPerStateByte < numBlocks {
-		// sanity check
-		runtimePanic("gc: metadata array is too small")
-	}
-
-	// Set all block states to 'free'.
-	memzero(unsafe.Pointer(heapStart), metadataSize)
-}
-
 // alloc tries to find some free space on the heap, possibly doing a garbage
 // collection cycle if needed. If no space is free, it panics.
-func alloc(size uintptr) unsafe.Pointer {
+func heapAlloc(size uintptr) unsafe.Pointer {
 	if size == 0 {
 		return unsafe.Pointer(&zeroSizedAlloc)
 	}
@@ -275,53 +240,6 @@ func free(ptr unsafe.Pointer) {
 	// TODO: free blocks on request, when the compiler knows they're unused.
 }
 
-// GC performs a garbage collection cycle.
-func GC() {
-	if gcDebug {
-		println("running collection cycle...")
-	}
-
-	// Mark phase: mark all reachable objects, recursively.
-	markRoots(globalsStart, globalsEnd)
-	markRoots(getCurrentStackPointer(), stackTop) // assume a descending stack
-
-	// Sweep phase: free all non-marked objects and unmark marked objects for
-	// the next collection cycle.
-	sweep()
-
-	// Show how much has been sweeped, for debugging.
-	if gcDebug {
-		dumpHeap()
-	}
-}
-
-// markRoots reads all pointers from start to end (exclusive) and if they look
-// like a heap pointer and are unmarked, marks them and scans that object as
-// well (recursively). The start and end parameters must be valid pointers and
-// must be aligned.
-func markRoots(start, end uintptr) {
-	if gcDebug {
-		println("mark from", start, "to", end, int(end-start))
-	}
-
-	for addr := start; addr != end; addr += unsafe.Sizeof(addr) {
-		root := *(*uintptr)(unsafe.Pointer(addr))
-		if looksLikePointer(root) {
-			block := blockFromAddr(root)
-			head := block.findHead()
-			if head.state() != blockStateMark {
-				if gcDebug {
-					println("found unmarked pointer", root, "at address", addr)
-				}
-				head.setState(blockStateMark)
-				next := block.findNext()
-				// TODO: avoid recursion as much as possible
-				markRoots(head.address(), next.address())
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 // Sweep goes through all memory and frees unmarked memory.
 func sweep() {
 	freeCurrentObject := false
@@ -347,10 +265,8 @@ func sweep() {
 	}
 }
 
-// looksLikePointer returns whether this could be a pointer. Currently, it
-// simply returns whether it lies anywhere in the heap. Go allows interior
-// pointers so we can't check alignment or anything like that.
-func looksLikePointer(ptr uintptr) bool {
+// addressOnHeap returns whether this address points into the heap.
+func addressOnHeap(ptr uintptr) bool {
 	return ptr >= poolStart && ptr < heapEnd
 }
 

src/runtime/gc_conservative.go

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+// +build gc.conservative
+
+package runtime
+
+import (
+	"unsafe"
+)
+
+// Initialize the memory allocator.
+// No memory may be allocated before this is called. That means the runtime and
+// any packages the runtime depends upon may not allocate memory during package
+// initialization.
+func init() {
+	totalSize := heapEnd - heapStart
+
+	// Allocate some memory to keep 2 bits of information about every block.
+	metadataSize := totalSize / (blocksPerStateByte * bytesPerBlock)
+
+	// Align the pool.
+	poolStart = (heapStart + metadataSize + (bytesPerBlock - 1)) &^ (bytesPerBlock - 1)
+	poolEnd := heapEnd &^ (bytesPerBlock - 1)
+	numBlocks := (poolEnd - poolStart) / bytesPerBlock
+	endBlock = gcBlock(numBlocks)
+	if gcDebug {
+		println("heapStart:        ", heapStart)
+		println("heapEnd:          ", heapEnd)
+		println("total size:       ", totalSize)
+		println("metadata size:    ", metadataSize)
+		println("poolStart:        ", poolStart)
+		println("# of blocks:      ", numBlocks)
+		println("# of block states:", metadataSize*blocksPerStateByte)
+	}
+	if gcAsserts && metadataSize*blocksPerStateByte < numBlocks {
+		// sanity check
+		runtimePanic("gc: metadata array is too small")
+	}
+
+	// Set all block states to 'free'.
+	memzero(unsafe.Pointer(heapStart), metadataSize)
+}
+
+func alloc(size uintptr) unsafe.Pointer {
+	return heapAlloc(size)
+}
+
+// GC performs a garbage collection cycle.
+func GC() {
+	if gcDebug {
+		println("running collection cycle...")
+	}
+
+	// Mark phase: mark all reachable objects, recursively.
+	markRoots(globalsStart, globalsEnd)
+	markRoots(getCurrentStackPointer(), stackTop) // assume a descending stack
+
+	// Sweep phase: free all non-marked objects and unmark marked objects for
+	// the next collection cycle.
+	sweep()
+
+	// Show how much has been sweeped, for debugging.
+	if gcDebug {
+		dumpHeap()
+	}
+}
+
+// markRoots reads all pointers from start to end (exclusive) and if they look
+// like a heap pointer and are unmarked, marks them and scans that object as
+// well (recursively). The start and end parameters must be valid pointers and
+// must be aligned.
+func markRoots(start, end uintptr) {
+	if gcDebug {
+		println("mark from", start, "to", end, int(end-start))
+	}
+
+	for addr := start; addr != end; addr += unsafe.Sizeof(addr) {
+		root := *(*uintptr)(unsafe.Pointer(addr))
+		if addressOnHeap(root) {
+			block := blockFromAddr(root)
+			head := block.findHead()
+			if head.state() != blockStateMark {
+				if gcDebug {
+					println("found unmarked pointer", root, "at address", addr)
+				}
+				head.setState(blockStateMark)
+				next := block.findNext()
+				// TODO: avoid recursion as much as possible
+				markRoots(head.address(), next.address())
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}

src/runtime/gc_leaking.go

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// +build gc.dumb
+// +build gc.leaking
 
 package runtime
 
@@ -30,18 +30,6 @@ func alloc(size uintptr) unsafe.Pointer {
 	return unsafe.Pointer(addr)
 }
 
-func free(ptr unsafe.Pointer) {
-	// Memory is never freed.
-}
-
 func GC() {
 	// No-op.
 }
-
-func KeepAlive(x interface{}) {
-	// Unimplemented. Only required with SetFinalizer().
-}
-
-func SetFinalizer(obj interface{}, finalizer interface{}) {
-	// Unimplemented.
-}

src/runtime/gc_none.go

@@ -12,18 +12,6 @@ import (
 
 func alloc(size uintptr) unsafe.Pointer
 
-func free(ptr unsafe.Pointer) {
-	// Nothing to free when nothing gets allocated.
-}
-
 func GC() {
 	// Unimplemented.
 }
-
-func KeepAlive(x interface{}) {
-	// Unimplemented. Only required with SetFinalizer().
-}
-
-func SetFinalizer(obj interface{}, finalizer interface{}) {
-	// Unimplemented.
-}

src/runtime/gc_precise.go

@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+// +build gc.precise
+
+package runtime
+
+import (
+	"unsafe"
+)
+
+//go:extern runtime.trackedGlobalsStart
+var trackedGlobalsStart uintptr
+
+//go:extern runtime.trackedGlobalsLength
+var trackedGlobalsLength uintptr
+
+//go:extern runtime.trackedGlobalsBitmap
+var trackedGlobalsBitmap [0]uint8
+
+// Initialize the memory allocator.
+// No memory may be allocated before this is called. That means the runtime and
+// any packages the runtime depends upon may not allocate memory during package
+// initialization.
+func init() {
+	totalSize := heapEnd - heapStart
+
+	// Allocate some memory to keep 2 bits of information about every block.
+	metadataSize := totalSize / (blocksPerStateByte * bytesPerBlock)
+
+	// Align the pool.
+	poolStart = (heapStart + metadataSize + (bytesPerBlock - 1)) &^ (bytesPerBlock - 1)
+	poolEnd := heapEnd &^ (bytesPerBlock - 1)
+	numBlocks := (poolEnd - poolStart) / bytesPerBlock
+	endBlock = gcBlock(numBlocks)
+	if gcDebug {
+		println("heapStart:        ", heapStart)
+		println("heapEnd:          ", heapEnd)
+		println("total size:       ", totalSize)
+		println("metadata size:    ", metadataSize)
+		println("poolStart:        ", poolStart)
+		println("# of blocks:      ", numBlocks)
+		println("# of block states:", metadataSize*blocksPerStateByte)
+	}
+	if gcAsserts && metadataSize*blocksPerStateByte < numBlocks {
+		// sanity check
+		runtimePanic("gc: metadata array is too small")
+	}
+
+	// Set all block states to 'free'.
+	memzero(unsafe.Pointer(heapStart), metadataSize)
+}
+
+func alloc(size uintptr) unsafe.Pointer {
+	GC()
+	return heapAlloc(size)
+}
+
+// GC performs a garbage collection cycle.
+func GC() {
+	if gcDebug {
+		println("\nrunning collection cycle...")
+	}
+
+	// Mark phase: mark all reachable objects, recursively.
+	markGlobals()
+	markRoots(getCurrentStackPointer(), stackTop) // assume a descending stack
+
+	// Sweep phase: free all non-marked objects and unmark marked objects for
+	// the next collection cycle.
+	sweep()
+
+	// Show how much has been sweeped, for debugging.
+	if gcDebug {
+		dumpHeap()
+	}
+}
+
+//go:nobounds
+func markGlobals() {
+	for i := uintptr(0); i < trackedGlobalsLength; i++ {
+		if trackedGlobalsBitmap[i/8]&(1<<(i%8)) != 0 {
+			addr := trackedGlobalsStart + i*unsafe.Alignof(uintptr(0))
+			root := *(*uintptr)(unsafe.Pointer(addr))
+			markRoot(addr, root)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// markRoots reads all pointers from start to end (exclusive) and if they look
+// like a heap pointer and are unmarked, marks them and scans that object as
+// well (recursively). The start and end parameters must be valid pointers and
+// must be aligned.
+func markRoots(start, end uintptr) {
+	if gcDebug {
+		println("mark from", start, "to", end, int(end-start))
+	}
+
+	for addr := start; addr != end; addr += unsafe.Sizeof(addr) {
+		root := *(*uintptr)(unsafe.Pointer(addr))
+		markRoot(addr, root)
+	}
+}
+
+func markRoot(addr, root uintptr) {
+	if addressOnHeap(root) {
+		block := blockFromAddr(root)
+		head := block.findHead()
+		if head.state() != blockStateMark {
+			if gcDebug {
+				println("found unmarked pointer", root, "at address", addr)
+			}
+			head.setState(blockStateMark)
+			next := block.findNext()
+			// TODO: avoid recursion as much as possible
+			markRoots(head.address(), next.address())
+		}
+	}
+}

targets/cortex-m.json

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 	"goos": "linux",
 	"goarch": "arm",
 	"compiler": "clang",
-	"gc": "marksweep",
+	"gc": "precise",
 	"linker": "ld.lld",
 	"rtlib": "compiler-rt",
 	"cflags": [