Linux Kernel's GCC-Plugins Infrastructure Now Supports GCC 8

The GCC 8 stable compiler (GCC 8.1) should be officially released in the next month or two and Linux 4.16's gcc-plugins infrastructure is picking up support for this annual update to the GNU Compiler Collection.

Building off the GCC compiler's plug-in architecture is the Linux kernel's gcc-plugins infrastructure for allowing extra functionality to be tacked onto the compiler for GCC 4.5 and newer. The current kernel gcc-plugins include extra GIMPLE/IPA/RTL passes, a randomize layout plugin, and other bits, some of which were ported from the GrSecurity/PaX kernel code. (More details for those interested here.)

Kees Cook sent in the gcc-plugins updates for the Linux 4.16 kernel merge window and it makes the necessary changes for GCC 8 support. These updates should now allow the Linux kernel's gcc-plugins code to play happy from the GCC 4.5 through GCC 8.x compiler releases.

As per usual tradition, GCC 8.1.0 should be officially out around the end of March if all the bug squashing goes well. Of course, GCC 8 has many new features in tow.