[PATCH v4 1/2] kconfig: Remove the architecture specific config for AutoFDO
From: xur
Date: Thu Jun 04 2026 - 15:56:45 EST
From: Rong Xu <xur@xxxxxxxxxx>
The CONFIG_AUTOFDO_CLANG option currently depends on
ARCH_SUPPORTS_AUTOFDO_CLANG, but this dependency seems unnecessary.
Remove ARCH_SUPPORTS_AUTOFDO_CLANG and allow users to control AutoFDO
builds solely through CONFIG_AUTOFDO_CLANG. This simplifies the kconfig
and avoids potential confusion.
Expand the AutoFDO documentation to include instructions for arm64.
Contributor acknowledgments:
* SPE instructions: Daniel Hoekwater <hoekwater@xxxxxxxxxx>
* ETM instructions: Yabin Cui <yabinc@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Rong Xu <xur@xxxxxxxxxx>
Suggested-by: Will Deacon <will@xxxxxxxxxx>
Tested-by: Yabin Cui <yabinc@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Kees Cook <kees@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
Documentation/dev-tools/autofdo.rst | 41 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
arch/Kconfig | 4 ---
arch/x86/Kconfig | 1 -
3 files changed, 41 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/dev-tools/autofdo.rst b/Documentation/dev-tools/autofdo.rst
index bcf06e7d6ffa..ae03c4dfedc1 100644
--- a/Documentation/dev-tools/autofdo.rst
+++ b/Documentation/dev-tools/autofdo.rst
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ process consists of the following steps:
the AutoFDO profile via offline tools.
The support requires a Clang compiler LLVM 17 or later.
+Current supported architectures include x86/x86_64 (via LBR) and
+arm64 (via SPE or ETM).
+
Preparation
===========
@@ -141,6 +144,35 @@ Here is an example workflow for AutoFDO kernel:
$ perf record --pfm-events RETIRED_TAKEN_BRANCH_INSTRUCTIONS:k -a -N -b -c <count> -o <perf_file> -- <loadtest>
+ - For arm64 with SPE:
+
+ There are a few kernel features that must be enabled to collect SPE profiles on Arm.
+ Below is a list of the required features:
+
+ - CONFIG_ARM_SPE_PMU=y
+ - CONFIG_PID_IN_CONTEXTIDR=y
+ - kpti=off
+
+ Use the following command to generate SPE perf data file::
+
+ $ perf record -e ' arm_spe_0/branch_filter=1,load_filter=0,store_filter=0/' -a -c <count> -N --no-switch-events -o <perf_file> -- <loadtest>
+
+ - For arm64 with ETM trace:
+
+ Follow the instructions in `Linaro OpenCSD document
+ <https://github.com/Linaro/OpenCSD/blob/master/decoder/tests/auto-fdo/autofdo.md>`_
+ to record ETM traces for AutoFDO::
+
+ $ perf record -e cs_etm/@tmc_etr0/k -a -o <etm_perf_file> -- <loadtest>
+ $ perf inject -i <etm_perf_file> -o <perf_file> --itrace=i500009il
+
+ For ARM platforms running Android, follow the instructions in `Android simpleperf
+ document <https://android.googlesource.com/kernel/common/+/refs/heads/android-mainline/gki/aarch64/afdo>`_
+ to record ETM traces for AutoFDO::
+
+ $ simpleperf record -e cs-etm:k -a -o <etm_perf_file> -- <loadtest>
+ $ simpleperf inject -i <etm_perf_file> -o <text_perf_file> --symdir <vmlinux_dir>
+
4) (Optional) Download the raw perf file to the host machine.
5) To generate an AutoFDO profile, two offline tools are available:
@@ -162,6 +194,15 @@ Here is an example workflow for AutoFDO kernel:
$ llvm-profdata merge -o <profile_file> <profile_1> <profile_2> ... <profile_n>
+ For arm64 SPE, use the following command::
+
+ $ create_llvm_prof --binary=<vmlinux> --profile=<perf_file> --profiler=perf_spe --format=extbinary --out=<profile_file>
+
+ For arm64 ETM, use the following command::
+
+ $ create_llvm_prof --binary=<vmlinux> --profile=<text_perf_file> --profiler=text -format=extbinary -out=<profile_file>
+
+
6) Rebuild the kernel using the AutoFDO profile file with the same config as step 1,
(Note CONFIG_AUTOFDO_CLANG needs to be enabled)::
diff --git a/arch/Kconfig b/arch/Kconfig
index 0848932d1c8e..5e878924939a 100644
--- a/arch/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/Kconfig
@@ -879,12 +879,8 @@ config LTO_CLANG_THIN_DIST
module-specific compiler options, and simplifies debugging.
endchoice
-config ARCH_SUPPORTS_AUTOFDO_CLANG
- bool
-
config AUTOFDO_CLANG
bool "Enable Clang's AutoFDO build (EXPERIMENTAL)"
- depends on ARCH_SUPPORTS_AUTOFDO_CLANG
depends on CC_IS_CLANG
help
This option enables Clang’s AutoFDO build. When
diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
index f3f7cb01d69d..10bf3984102e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ config X86
select ARCH_SUPPORTS_LTO_CLANG
select ARCH_SUPPORTS_LTO_CLANG_THIN
select ARCH_SUPPORTS_RT
- select ARCH_SUPPORTS_AUTOFDO_CLANG
select ARCH_SUPPORTS_PROPELLER_CLANG if X86_64
select ARCH_USE_BUILTIN_BSWAP
select ARCH_USE_CMPXCHG_LOCKREF if X86_CX8
--
2.54.0.1032.g2f8565e1d1-goog