4 libffi-3.0.10 was released on XXXXXXXXXX, 2010. Check the libffi web
5 page for updates: <URL:http://sourceware.org/libffi/>.
11 Compilers for high level languages generate code that follow certain
12 conventions. These conventions are necessary, in part, for separate
13 compilation to work. One such convention is the "calling
14 convention". The "calling convention" is essentially a set of
15 assumptions made by the compiler about where function arguments will
16 be found on entry to a function. A "calling convention" also specifies
17 where the return value for a function is found.
19 Some programs may not know at the time of compilation what arguments
20 are to be passed to a function. For instance, an interpreter may be
21 told at run-time about the number and types of arguments used to call
22 a given function. Libffi can be used in such programs to provide a
23 bridge from the interpreter program to compiled code.
25 The libffi library provides a portable, high level programming
26 interface to various calling conventions. This allows a programmer to
27 call any function specified by a call interface description at run
30 FFI stands for Foreign Function Interface. A foreign function
31 interface is the popular name for the interface that allows code
32 written in one language to call code written in another language. The
33 libffi library really only provides the lowest, machine dependent
34 layer of a fully featured foreign function interface. A layer must
35 exist above libffi that handles type conversions for values passed
36 between the two languages.
42 Libffi has been ported to many different platforms.
43 For specific configuration details and testing status, please
44 refer to the wiki page here:
46 http://www.moxielogic.org/wiki/index.php?title=Libffi_3.0.10
48 At the time of release, the following basic configurations have been
51 |--------------+------------------|
52 | Architecture | Operating System |
53 |--------------+------------------|
79 | X86 | Windows/Cygwin |
80 | X86 | Windows/MingW |
84 | X86-64 | Windows/MingW |
85 |--------------+------------------|
87 Please send additional platform test results to
88 libffi-discuss@sourceware.org and feel free to update the wiki page
94 First you must configure the distribution for your particular
95 system. Go to the directory you wish to build libffi in and run the
96 "configure" program found in the root directory of the libffi source
99 You may want to tell configure where to install the libffi library and
100 header files. To do that, use the --prefix configure switch. Libffi
101 will install under /usr/local by default.
103 If you want to enable extra run-time debugging checks use the the
104 --enable-debug configure switch. This is useful when your program dies
105 mysteriously while using libffi.
107 Another useful configure switch is --enable-purify-safety. Using this
108 will add some extra code which will suppress certain warnings when you
109 are using Purify with libffi. Only use this switch when using
110 Purify, as it will slow down the library.
112 Configure has many other options. Use "configure --help" to see them all.
114 Once configure has finished, type "make". Note that you must be using
115 GNU make. You can ftp GNU make from prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu.
117 To ensure that libffi is working as advertised, type "make check".
118 This will require that you have DejaGNU installed.
120 To install the library and header files, type "make install".
126 See the ChangeLog files for details.
129 Fix the N64 build on mips-sgi-irix6.5.
130 Testsuite fixes for Tru64 Unix.
133 Add AVR32 and win64 ports. Add ARM softfp support.
134 Many fixes for AIX, Solaris, HP-UX, *BSD.
135 Several PowerPC and x86-64 bug fixes.
136 Build DLL for windows.
139 Add *BSD, BeOS, and PA-Linux support.
143 (thanks to Andreas Tobler)
146 Fix for closures on sh.
147 Mark the sh/sh64 stack as non-executable.
148 (both thanks to Kaz Kojima)
152 Fix #define ARM for IcedTea users.
156 Fix x86 OpenBSD configury.
159 Enable x86 OpenBSD thanks to Thomas Heller, and
160 x86-64 FreeBSD thanks to Björn König and Andreas Tobler.
161 Clean up test instruction in README.
164 Improved x86 FreeBSD support.
165 Thanks to Björn König.
168 Fix instruction cache flushing bug on MIPS.
169 Thanks to David Daney.
172 Many changes, mostly thanks to the GCC project.
173 Cygnus Solutions is now Red Hat.
178 Raffaele Sena produces ARM port.
181 Fixed x86 long double and long long return support.
182 m68k bug fixes from Andreas Schwab.
183 Patch for DU assembler compatibility for the Alpha from Richard
187 Bug fixes and MIPS configuration changes.
190 Bug fixes and m68k port from Andreas Schwab. PowerPC port from
191 Geoffrey Keating. Various bug x86, Sparc and MIPS bug fixes.
194 Richard Henderson produces Alpha port.
197 Fixed an n32 ABI bug. New libtool, auto* support.
200 libtool is now used to generate shared and static libraries.
201 Fixed a minor portability problem reported by Russ McManus
205 Added --enable-purify-safety to keep Purify from complaining
206 about certain low level code.
207 Sparc fix for calling functions with < 6 args.
211 Added missing ffi_type_void, needed for supporting void return
212 types. Fixed test case for non MIPS machines. Cygnus Support
213 is now Cygnus Solutions.
216 Added notes about GNU make.
219 Added configuration fix for non GNU compilers.
222 Added --enable-debug configure switch. Clean-ups based on LCLint
223 feedback. ffi_mips.h is always installed. Many configuration
224 fixes. Fixed ffitest.c for sparc builds.
227 Fixed n32 problem. Many clean-ups.
230 Gordon Irlam rewrites v8.S again. Bug fixes.
233 Gordon Irlam improved the sparc port.
236 Interface changes based on feedback.
239 Sparc port complete (modulo struct passing bug).
242 Passing struct args, and returning struct values works for
243 all architectures/calling conventions. Expanded tests.
246 Added SGI n32 support. Fixed bugs in both o32 and Linux support.
250 Fixed float passing bug in mips version. Restructured some
251 of the code. Builds cleanly with SGI tools.
254 First release. No public announcement.
260 libffi was originally written by Anthony Green <green@redhat.com>.
262 The developers of the GNU Compiler Collection project have made
263 innumerable valuable contributions. See the ChangeLog file for
266 Some of the ideas behind libffi were inspired by Gianni Mariani's free
267 gencall library for Silicon Graphics machines.
269 The closure mechanism was designed and implemented by Kresten Krab
272 Major processor architecture ports were contributed by the following
275 alpha Richard Henderson
277 cris Simon Posnjak, Hans-Peter Nilsson
282 mips Anthony Green, Casey Marshall
284 pa Randolph Chung, Dave Anglin, Andreas Tobler
285 powerpc Geoffrey Keating, Andreas Tobler,
286 David Edelsohn, John Hornkvist
287 powerpc64 Jakub Jelinek
288 s390 Gerhard Tonn, Ulrich Weigand
291 sparc Anthony Green, Gordon Irlam
292 x86 Anthony Green, Jon Beniston
295 Jesper Skov and Andrew Haley both did more than their fair share of
296 stepping through the code and tracking down bugs.
298 Thanks also to Tom Tromey for bug fixes, documentation and
301 Thanks to Jim Blandy, who provided some useful feedback on the libffi
304 Andreas Tobler has done a tremendous amount of work on the testsuite.
306 Alex Oliva solved the executable page problem for SElinux.
308 The list above is almost certainly incomplete and inaccurate. I'm
309 happy to make corrections or additions upon request.
311 If you have a problem, or have found a bug, please send a note to