Re: [PATCH 1/3] ARM: zImage: ensure it is always a multiple of 64 bits in size

On Mon, 13 Jun 2011, Russell King - ARM Linux wrote:

On Sun, Jun 12, 2011 at 02:06:38AM -0400, Nicolas Pitre wrote:

quoted

diff --git a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds.in b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds.in
index ea80abe..6c02db1 100644
--- a/arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds.in
+++ b/arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux.lds.in

@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ SECTIONS
   .got			: { *(.got) }
   _got_end = .;
   .got.plt		: { *(.got.plt) }
+
+  /* ensure the zImage file size is always a multiple of 64 bits */
+  .pad			: { BYTE(0); . = ALIGN(8); }

Why add a byte before aligning?  Isn't merely aligning to 64-bit sufficient?

No.  If a section is empty, despite the align statement, ld would simply 
omit it entirely and the output file size won't be aligned.


Nicolas