[Dri-devel] Re: OpenGL and the LinuxThreads pthread_descr structure

[David S. Miller]

   From: Gareth Hughes <gareth.hughes@acm.org>
   Date: Tue, 21 May 2002 14:06:09 -0700
   
   In the mean time, a few questions:
   
      - Does __thread require -fPIC?  From my initial reading of the PDF
        document on your website, I was under the impression that this was
        the case.
   
Why does it matter?  Jakub has shown how to get the same kind of
non-PIC relocations you want in the GL libraries by using private
versions of symbols.

Also, the PIC register argument is bogus too.  I know for a fact that
current GCC will fully allow allocation of the x86 PIC register
if you make no references to PIC relocatable data.  %99 of functions
in an OpenGL implementation will get full use of the PIC register,
_ESPECIALLY_ if you use the privatization symbol tricks Jakub
mentioned.

It should be rare to reference PIC symbols from within OpenGL if done
properly, thus the PIC register and the relocation arguments are null
and void.

Franks a lot,
David S. Miller
davem@redhat.com