Future directions for the dynamic linker auditing (LD_AUDIT) interface

[Carlos O'Donell]

On 11/22/24 10:24 AM, John Mellor-Crummey wrote:
> I think one compelling case for composing auditors is that we want to
> use HPCToolkit (which uses an auditor to monitor dynamic library
> loading/unloading and intercept symbol bindings to manage signal
> handling, thread creation/destruction, etc.) to profile a large-scale
> parallel program that employs Spindle, which uses an auditor to
> accelerate dynamic loading.

I agree that there *is* a compelling use case for composition, but we don't
know what an API for that would look like and how it would solve all of the
compositional problems.

Florian's guidance here (as I read it), and I agree with it, is that downstream
can prototype this out in the field using the existing LD_AUDIT framework to load
their own "rtld-audit-next-generation" shim that mediates between the various
uses and teases out the requirements for such a next-generation design.

With operational hours under your proverbial belt we can circle back and look
at the re-integration of such an API directly into the dynamic loader.

-- 
Cheers,
Carlos.