ARM ELF files use symbols with special names $a, $t, $d to identify regions of
ARM code, Thumb code and data within code sections.  This can cause confusing
output from the perf tools, especially for partially stripped binaries, or
binaries containing user-added zero-sized symbols (which may occur in
hand-written assembler which hasn't been fully annotated with .size
directives).
This patch filters out these symbols at load time.
LKML-Reference: <
1281352878-8735-2-git-send-email-dave.martin@linaro.org>
Signed-off-by: Dave Martin <dave.martin@linaro.org>
Signed-off-by: Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo <acme@redhat.com>
                if (!is_label && !elf_sym__is_a(&sym, map->type))
                        continue;
 
+               /* Reject ARM ELF "mapping symbols": these aren't unique and
+                * don't identify functions, so will confuse the profile
+                * output: */
+               if (ehdr.e_machine == EM_ARM) {
+                       if (!strcmp(elf_name, "$a") ||
+                           !strcmp(elf_name, "$d") ||
+                           !strcmp(elf_name, "$t"))
+                               continue;
+               }
+
                if (opdsec && sym.st_shndx == opdidx) {
                        u32 offset = sym.st_value - opdshdr.sh_addr;
                        u64 *opd = opddata->d_buf + offset;