[Gcl-devel] Re: `exec shield' test in configure too strict?

[Camm Maguire]

Greetings!

"Jan D." <address@hidden> writes:

> >> I have checked in a test that runs a program and sees if the heap
> >> start
> >> address is random.
> >
> > Doesn't this harm cross-building Emacs?  I always thought that running
> > a test program at configure time should be avoided, and that tests
> > that only compile or link programs should be peferred.
> 
> When cross compiling the test obviously can not be run, so configure
> assumes
> that the heap start address is not random.  Come to think of it, the old
> test (checking /proc/sys/kernel/exec-shield) was worse, as it did not
> handle
> cross compiling.
> 

GCL also checks for a randomized sbrk a configure time, and builds
into main a personality switch followed by a re-exec to work around
the fedora security issues.  I'm hoping this avenue won't be going
away soon, as I feel there are benefits to the current sbrk-expanding
contiguous heap design of these systems.

Don't know if there is any answer to the cross-compiling.

Take care,

>       Jan D.
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Emacs-devel mailing list
> address@hidden
> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-devel
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Camm Maguire                                            address@hidden
==========================================================================
"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."  --  Baha'u'llah