Tag-alignment in multiboot2 image headers

[Ahmed, Safayet (GE Global Research, US)]

Hello,

I'm seeing an inconsistency in the multiboot2 specification and the 
implementation of the multiboot2 loader code in GRUB. It may be my 
understanding that's incorrect. A clarification would be appreciated.

This concerns the alignment requirements for tags in OS image headers. The 
specification states 4 bytes, but the code uses 8 bytes.

The specification states (Section 3.1.3) that "Tags constitutes a buffer of 
structures following each other padded on 'u32' size."

The "for" loop for parsing tags uses the following "increment" statement 
(grub/grub_core/loader/multiboot_mbi2.c: line 148):
    tag = (struct multiboot_header_tag *) ((grub_uint32_t *) tag + ALIGN_UP 
(tag->size, MULTIBOOT_TAG_ALIGN) / 4))

The macro MULTIBOOT_TAG_ALIGN is defined in (include/multiboot2.h) as 8. This 
alignment value is consistent with the specification for tags in the multiboot2 
information structure, but not for tags in an OS image header.

thank you,

Safayet N Ahmed Ph.D

Researcher, Computer Engineer
GE Global Research Center
One Research Circle,
Niskayuna, NY 12309  United States
General Electric Company, GE Global Research

GE imagination at work