[ANNOUNCEMENT] TEST RELEASE: Cygwin 2.1.0-0.4

[Corinna Vinschen <corinna-cygwin at cygwin dot com>]

Hi Cygwin friends and users,


I released another TEST version of Cygwin.  The version number is
2.1.0-0.4.

This test release needs some good testing!

While the changes are still mostly interesting for developers, the
under-the-hood changes will potentially impact existing applications.

I'd like to release 2.1.0-1 in about two weeks, if possible.

==================================== tl;dr ==================================

What's new:
-----------

- Handle pthread stacksizes as in GLibc:  Default to RLIMIT_STACK resource.
  Allow to set RLIMIT_STACK via setrlimit.  Default RLIMIT_STACK to value
  from executable header as described on
  https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms686774.aspx
  Default stacksize to 2 Megs in case RLIMIT_STACK is set to RLIM_INFINITY.

- First cut of an implementation to allow signal handlers running on an
  alternate signal stack.
  
- New API sigaltstack, plus definitions for SA_ONSTACK, SS_ONSTACK, SS_DISABLE,
  MINSIGSTKSZ, SIGSTKSZ.

- New API: sethostname.


What changed:
-------------


Bug Fixes
---------

- Enable non-SA_RESTART behaviour on threads other than main thread.
  Addresses: https://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2015-06/msg00260.html

- Try to handle concurrent close on socket more gracefully
  Addresses: https://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2015-06/msg00235.html

- Fix fork failing after the parent recovered from a stack overflow.
  Addresses: https://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2015-06/msg00384.html

- Fix a crash on 64 bit XP/2003 when opening /proc/$PID/maps.

============================================================================

Changes compared to the previous test release:

- getrlimit/setrlimit RLIMIT_STACK handling has been improved considerably.
  The old implementation returned wrong values and was generally useless.

  After some discussion with collegues working on glibc and the Linux
  kernel, I now implemented RLIMIT_STACK more closely aligned with
  the behaviour on Linux/glibc:

  - By default, getrlimit(RLIMIT_STACK) returns the value of the default
    stacksize taken from the Windows executable file header in rlim_cur,
    only slightly changed to account for guard pages.

  - setrlimit(RLIMIT_STACK) now works and stores the new values for later
    use.

  - The rlim_cur value is now used as default stacksize when creating
    pthreads.  If rlim_cur is RLIM_INFINITY, the fallback stacksize is
    set to 2 Megs.

- So far, if the application set the guardpage size via
  pthread_attr_setguardsize(), the thread stack was set up fully
  commited with a NOACCESS guardpage at the stack bottom.  This approach
  wasted physical memory and it failed to trigger normal stack overflow
  exceptions.

  Cygwin now sets up a Windows-typical stack with only few commited
  pages and movable guardpages.  However, this requires OS support if
  the guardpage area requested by pthread_attr_setguardsize() differs
  from the default OS guardpage size.
  
  This OS support is only available starting with Windows 2003 and 64
  bit XP.  32 bit XP will still use the fully commited stack setup in
  this case.  Another nail in XP's coffin...

- If the pthread stack is not provided by the application (which is
  unusual anyway), the newly created stack will use a Windows compatible
  guardpage setup reflecting the setting from pthread_attr_setguardsize(),
  or the default OS-specific guardpage size.  

- When running a signal handler on the alternate signal stack, the
  handler is now called via a wrapper function.  This wrapper function
  checkr if the SEGV was triggered by a STATUS_STACK_OVERFLOW.
  
  If so, it restores the last set of guard pages on the primary thread
  stack.  If we don't do that, and if the handler longjmps, the stack
  stays broken and another stack overflow exits the process immediately
  with no chance to recover.

  If the handler simply returns, the wrapper restores the "broken"
  stack state to allow accessing the stack, then the exception handling
  triggers a SIG_DFL action for SIGSEGV:  Create a stackdump and exit.

Implementation details:

- The alternate signal stack installed via sigaltstack is only valid for
  the current thread.  Each thread must call its own sigaltstack.  On
  pthread_create, the alternate signal stack setting of the calling
  thread is *not* propagated to the newly created thread.  This follows
  current Linux semantics.

- The alternate signal stack is a minimal stack.  Certain datastructures
  used by Cygwin (_cygtls area) and Windows (on 32 bit: exception
  records) are not copied over to the alternate signal stack.  The stack
  settings in the Thread Environment Block (TEB) are not reflecting the
  current alternate stack while running the signal handler.  The TEB
  will still point to the original thread stack.  This seems to work
  nicely in my testing, but there may be Windows functions which stop
  working in this scenario.

- The volatile registers and the original stack registers are stored at
  the base of the alternate stack.  If you screw this up while running
  the signal handler, your thread is doomed on return to the caller.

I'd be grateful if curious developers would give this new sigaltstack
implementation and the changed RLIMIT_STACK handling a whirl and report
back if it's working for them as desired/expected.  And if not, simple
reproducers in plain C are most welcome in this case.  Discussing
aspects of this implementation may be best handled on the
cygwin-developers mailing list or the #cygwin-developers IRC channel on
Freenode.


Have fun,
Corinna

-- 
Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Maintainer                 cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat

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