Why does mips define elf_backend_sign_extend_vma to true?

[H . J . Lu]

On Tue, Aug 07, 2001 at 06:24:59PM -0700, H . J . Lu wrote:
> Only elf32-mips.c has
> 
> #define elf_backend_sign_extend_vma        true
> 
> and we get
> 
> # nm vmlinux
> ffffffff802e01f0 D C_A_D
> ffffffff802df344 D EISA_bus
> ....
> 
> Does anyone know why mips does this?
> 

It seems that it was done on purpose:

http://sources.redhat.com/ml/binutils/1999-11/msg00080.html

I don't believe it is correct for the normal 32bit MIPS SVR4 ABI. I'd like
to turn it off. If you want to do sign extension, you should create a new
ABI, not break the existing ABI.


H.J.