[binutils-gdb] ld: fold .note.GNU-stack during relocatable linking

[Jan Beulich]

https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git;h=126535bae49af3beed2ffd39d490d4d82a8c6ac0

commit 126535bae49af3beed2ffd39d490d4d82a8c6ac0
Author: Jan Beulich <jbeulich@suse.com>
Date:   Fri Feb 6 08:52:02 2026 +0100

    ld: fold .note.GNU-stack during relocatable linking
    
    PR ld/33851
    
    While in all binutils components we've switched the section to be of
    SHT_NOTE type, assembly sources as well as other tools may still generate
    SHT_PROGBITS instances. When doing relocatable links, input sections with
    differing types would cause multiple output sections to be created, which
    some tools choke upon. Fold incoming sections into a single one, the type
    of which will be the type of the first section encountered.

Diff:
---
 ld/scripttempl/misc-sections.sc |  4 ++++
 ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3.s     |  1 +
 ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3a.d    | 10 ++++++++++
 ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3b.d    | 14 ++++++++++++++
 ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3c.d    | 10 ++++++++++
 ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3d.d    | 14 ++++++++++++++
 6 files changed, 53 insertions(+)

diff --git a/ld/scripttempl/misc-sections.sc b/ld/scripttempl/misc-sections.sc
index 794fe70e5cb..ddcdd736fb6 100644
--- a/ld/scripttempl/misc-sections.sc
+++ b/ld/scripttempl/misc-sections.sc
@@ -31,3 +31,7 @@ cat <<EOF
   .gnu.build.attributes : { *(.gnu.build.attributes${RELOCATING+ .gnu.build.attributes.*}) }
 
 EOF
+
+test -z "${CONSTRUCTING}" && cat <<EOF
+  .note.GNU-stack : { *(.note.GNU-stack) }
+EOF
diff --git a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3.s b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3.s
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e63bb9232c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3.s
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+	.section .note.GNU-stack, "", %progbits
diff --git a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3a.d b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3a.d
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..083665c277b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3a.d
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#name: .note.GNU-stack ld -r SHT_NOTE + SHT_PROGBITS (positive)
+#source: empty.s --noexecstack
+#source: note3.s
+#as: --generate-missing-build-notes=no
+#ld: -r
+#readelf: -SW
+
+#...
+ *\[[ 0-9]+\] \.note\.GNU-stack +NOTE .*
+#pass
diff --git a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3b.d b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3b.d
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5ebfba15377
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3b.d
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#name: .note.GNU-stack ld -r SHT_NOTE + SHT_PROGBITS (negative)
+#source: empty.s --noexecstack
+#source: note3.s
+#as: --generate-missing-build-notes=no
+#ld: -r
+#readelf: -SW
+#failif
+# cr16 and crx force entirely empty scripts for -r, while hppa-elf re-uses
+# a significantly shrunk down script also for -r.
+#xfail: cr16-*-elf* crx-*-elf* hppa-*-*elf* hppa*-*-lites*
+
+#...
+ *\[[ 0-9]+\] \.note\.GNU-stack +PROGBITS .*
+#pass
diff --git a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3c.d b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3c.d
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..24476170aa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3c.d
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#name: .note.GNU-stack ld -r SHT_PROGBITS + SHT_NOTE (positive)
+#source: note3.s
+#source: empty.s --noexecstack
+#as: --generate-missing-build-notes=no
+#ld: -r
+#readelf: -SW
+
+#...
+ *\[[ 0-9]+\] \.note\.GNU-stack +PROGBITS .*
+#pass
diff --git a/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3d.d b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3d.d
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e374403712b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ld/testsuite/ld-elf/note3d.d
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#name: .note.GNU-stack ld -r SHT_PROGBITS + SHT_NOTE (negative)
+#source: note3.s
+#source: empty.s --noexecstack
+#as: --generate-missing-build-notes=no
+#ld: -r
+#readelf: -SW
+#failif
+# cr16 and crx force entirely empty scripts for -r, while hppa-elf re-uses
+# a significantly shrunk down script also for -r.
+#xfail: cr16-*-elf* crx-*-elf* hppa-*-*elf* hppa*-*-lites*
+
+#...
+ *\[[ 0-9]+\] \.note\.GNU-stack +NOTE .*
+#pass