Here's what's to be done for maintaining Boehm GC.

This one does need Hurd-specific configuration.

It is, for example, used by GCC (which has its own fork), so any changes committed upstream should very like also be made there.

General information
Configuration
Build
1. Analysis
Install
1. Analysis
Testsuite
1. Analysis
TODO
1. IRC, OFTC, #debian-hurd, 2012-02-05
2. Leak Detection

General information

Configuration

Last reviewed up to Git commit d6c34577eeaba37ff08998d18676531082c040b6 (2016-03-18), and for libatomic_ops to Git commit 01d2509c13f3aa7e03cb4cbf50fda08f98725ce4 (2016-03-24).

configure.ac

PARALLEL_MARK is not enabled; doesn't make sense so far.
*-*-kfreebsd*-gnu defines USE_COMPILER_TLS. What's this, and why does not other config?

TODO

[ if test "$enable_gc_debug" = "yes"; then
    AC_MSG_WARN("Should define GC_DEBUG and use debug alloc. in clients.")
    AC_DEFINE([KEEP_BACK_PTRS], 1,
              [Define to save back-pointers in debugging headers.])
    keep_back_ptrs=true
    AC_DEFINE([DBG_HDRS_ALL], 1,
              [Define to force debug headers on all objects.])
    case $host in
      x86-*-linux* | i586-*-linux* | i686-*-linux* | x86_64-*-linux* )
        AC_DEFINE(MAKE_BACK_GRAPH)
        AC_MSG_WARN("Client must not use -fomit-frame-pointer.")
        AC_DEFINE(SAVE_CALL_COUNT, 8)
      ;;
AM_CONDITIONAL([KEEP_BACK_PTRS], [test x"$keep_back_ptrs" = xtrue])

configure.host

Nothing.
Makefile.am, include/include.am, cord/cord.am, doc/doc.am, tests/tests.am

Nothing.
include/gc_config_macros.h

Should be OK.

include/private/gcconfig.h

Hairy. But should be OK. Search for HURD, compare to LINUX, I386 case.

See doc/porting.html and doc/README.macros (and others) for documentation.

LINUX has:

#define LINUX_STACKBOTTOM

Defined instead of STACKBOTTOM to have the value read from /proc/.
#define HEAP_START (ptr_t)0x1000

May want to define it for us, too?
#ifdef USE_I686_PREFETCH, USE_3DNOW_PREFETCH --- [...]

Apparently these are optimization that we also could use. Have a look at LINUX for X86_64, which uses __builtin_prefetch (which Linux x86 could use, too?).

TODO

#if defined(LINUX) && defined(USE_MMAP)
    /* The kernel may do a somewhat better job merging mappings etc.    */
    /* with anonymous mappings.                                         */
#   define USE_MMAP_ANON
#endif

[Hurd] Use mmap instead of sbrk, https://github.com/ivmai/bdwgc/pull/95.

TODO

#if defined(GC_LINUX_THREADS) && defined(REDIRECT_MALLOC)
    /* Nptl allocates thread stacks with mmap, which is fine.  But it   */
    /* keeps a cache of thread stacks.  Thread stacks contain the       */
    /* thread control blocks.  These in turn contain a pointer to       */
    /* (sizeof (void *) from the beginning of) the dtv for thread-local */
    /* storage, which is calloc allocated.  If we don't scan the cached */
    /* thread stacks, we appear to lose the dtv.  This tends to         */
    /* result in something that looks like a bogus dtv count, which     */
    /* tends to result in a memset call on a block that is way too      */
    /* large.  Sometimes we're lucky and the process just dies ...      */
    /* There seems to be a similar issue with some other memory         */
    /* allocated by the dynamic loader.                                 */
    /* This should be avoidable by either:                              */
    /* - Defining USE_PROC_FOR_LIBRARIES here.                          */
    /*   That performs very poorly, precisely because we end up         */
    /*   scanning cached stacks.                                        */
    /* - Have calloc look at its callers.                               */
    /*   In spite of the fact that it is gross and disgusting.          */
    /* In fact neither seems to suffice, probably in part because       */
    /* even with USE_PROC_FOR_LIBRARIES, we don't scan parts of stack   */
    /* segments that appear to be out of bounds.  Thus we actually      */
    /* do both, which seems to yield the best results.                  */


#   define USE_PROC_FOR_LIBRARIES
#endif

TODO

# if defined(GC_LINUX_THREADS) && defined(REDIRECT_MALLOC) \
     && !defined(INCLUDE_LINUX_THREAD_DESCR)
    /* Will not work, since libc and the dynamic loader use thread      */
    /* locals, sometimes as the only reference.                         */
#   define INCLUDE_LINUX_THREAD_DESCR
# endif

TODO

# if defined(UNIX_LIKE) && defined(THREADS) && !defined(NO_CANCEL_SAFE) \
     && !defined(PLATFORM_ANDROID)
    /* Make the code cancellation-safe.  This basically means that we   */
    /* ensure that cancellation requests are ignored while we are in    */
    /* the collector.  This applies only to Posix deferred cancellation;*/
    /* we don't handle Posix asynchronous cancellation.                 */
    /* Note that this only works if pthread_setcancelstate is           */
    /* async-signal-safe, at least in the absence of asynchronous       */
    /* cancellation.  This appears to be true for the glibc version,    */
    /* though it is not documented.  Without that assumption, there     */
    /* seems to be no way to safely wait in a signal handler, which     */
    /* we need to do for thread suspension.                             */
    /* Also note that little other code appears to be cancellation-safe.*/
    /* Hence it may make sense to turn this off for performance.        */
#   define CANCEL_SAFE
# endif

CAN_SAVE_CALL_ARGS vs. -fomit-frame-pointer now being on by default for Linux x86 IIRC? (Which is an open issue gcc for not including us.)

TODO

# if defined(REDIRECT_MALLOC) && defined(THREADS) && !defined(LINUX)
#   error "REDIRECT_MALLOC with THREADS works at most on Linux."
# endif

TODO

#if ((defined(UNIX_LIKE) && (defined(DARWIN) || defined(HURD) \
                             || defined(OPENBSD) || defined(ARM32) \
                             || defined(MIPS) || defined(AVR32) \
                             || defined(OR1K) || defined(NIOS2))) \
     || (defined(LINUX) && !defined(__gnu_linux__)) \
     || (defined(RTEMS) && defined(I386)) || defined(PLATFORM_ANDROID)) \
    && !defined(NO_GETCONTEXT)
# define NO_GETCONTEXT
#endif

Also see comment below, regarding mach_dep.c.

HURD has:

#define STACK_GROWS_DOWN
#define HEURISTIC2

Defined instead of STACKBOTTOM to have the value probed.

Linux also has this:
```
#if defined(LINUX_STACKBOTTOM) && defined(NO_PROC_STAT) \
    && !defined(USE_LIBC_PRIVATES)
    /* This combination will fail, since we have no way to get  */
    /* the stack base.  Use HEURISTIC2 instead.                 */
#   undef LINUX_STACKBOTTOM
#   define HEURISTIC2
    /* This may still fail on some architectures like IA64.     */
    /* We tried ...                                             */
#endif
```
Being on glibc, we could perhaps do similar as USE_LIBC_PRIVATES instead of HEURISTIC2. Pro: avoid SIGSEGV (and general fragility) during probing at startup (if I'm understanding this correctly). Con: rely on glibc internals. Or we instead add support to parse /proc/ (can even use the same as Linux?), or use some other interface.
This is also likely the issue causing the GDB GC_find_limit_with_bound SIGSEGV startup confusion described in binutils.
#define SIG_SUSPEND SIGUSR1, #define SIG_THR_RESTART SIGUSR2
We don't #define MPROTECT_VDB (WIP comment); but Linux neither.
Where does our GETPAGESIZE come from? Should we #include <unistd.h> like it is done for LINUX?
[Hurd] Use mmap instead of sbrk, https://github.com/ivmai/bdwgc/pull/95.

include/gc_pthread_redirects.h
- TODO
  
  Cancellation stuff is Linux-only. In other places, too.
mach_dep.c
- #define NO_GETCONTEXT
  
  open issue glibc, but this is not a real problem here, because we can use the following GCC internal function without much overhead: [TODO]
  
  Also see comment above, regarding include/private/gcconfig.h.
- GC_with_callee_saves_pushed
  
  The HAVE_BUILTIN_UNWIND_INIT case is ours.
os_dep.c
- TODO.
dyn_load.c

For DYNAMIC_LOADING. TODO.
pthread_support.c, pthread_stop_world.c

TODO.
TODO.

Other files also contain LINUX and other conditionals.
libatomic_ops/
- configure.ac
  
  Nothing.
- Makefile, src/Makefile, src/atomic_ops/Makefile, src/atomic_ops/sysdeps/Makefile, doc/Makefile, tests/Makefile
  
  Nothing.
- src/atomic_ops/sysdeps/gcc/x86.h
  
  Nothing.
b8b65e8a5c2c4896728cd00d008168a6293f55b1 configure.ac probably not all correct.
mmap, b64dd3bc1e5a23e677c96b478d55648a0730ab75

This is (still) stale/redundant/unused, as far as I can tell.
parallel mark, 07c2b8e455c9e70d1f173475bbf1196320812154, pass --disable-parallel-mark or enable for us, too?
HANDLE_FORK, e9b11b6655c45ad3ab3326707aa31567a767134b, 806d656802a1e3c2b55cd9e4530c6420340886c9, 1e882b98c2cf9479a9cd08a67439dab7f9622924
Check include/private/thread_local_alloc.h re USE_COMPILER_TLS/USE_PTHREAD_SPECIFIC.

TODO:

diff --git ./include/private/gcconfig.h ./include/private/gcconfig.h

{+#if defined(LINUX) || defined(FREEBSD) || defined(SOLARIS) || defined(IRIX5) \+}
{+    || ((defined(USE_MMAP) || defined(USE_MUNMAP)) && !defined(USE_WINALLOC))+}
{+# define MMAP_SUPPORTED+}
{+#endif+}

diff --git ./include/private/gcconfig.h ./include/private/gcconfig.h

#if !defined(CAN_HANDLE_FORK) && !defined(NO_HANDLE_FORK) \
    && [-((defined(GC_PTHREADS)-]{+!defined(HAVE_NO_FORK) \+}
    && [-!defined(HURD)-]{+((defined(GC_PTHREADS)+} && !defined(NACL) \
         &&[-!defined(PLATFORM_ANDROID) &&-] !defined(GC_WIN32_PTHREADS)[-\-] && !defined(USE_WINALLOC)) \
        || (defined(DARWIN) && defined(MPROTECT_VDB)) || defined(HANDLE_FORK))
  /* Attempts (where supported and requested) to make GC_malloc work in */
  /* a child process fork'ed from a multi-threaded parent.              */
# define CAN_HANDLE_FORK
#endif


{+#if defined(CAN_HANDLE_FORK) && !defined(CAN_CALL_ATFORK) \+}
{+    && !defined(HURD) && !defined(PLATFORM_ANDROID)+}
{+  /* Have working pthread_atfork().     */+}
{+# define CAN_CALL_ATFORK+}
{+#endif+}

diff --git ./include/private/gcconfig.h ./include/private/gcconfig.h

{+#if (defined(FREEBSD) || (defined(DARWIN) && !defined(_POSIX_C_SOURCE)) \+}
{+        || (defined(SOLARIS) && (!defined(_XOPEN_SOURCE) \+}
{+                                 || defined(__EXTENSIONS__))) \+}
{+        || defined(LINUX)) && !defined(HAVE_DLADDR)+}
{+# define HAVE_DLADDR+}
{+#endif+}

diff --git ./os_dep.c ./os_dep.c

@@ -3038,9 +3005,11 @@ GC_API GC_push_other_roots_proc GC_CALL GC_get_push_other_roots(void)
                        /* Also old MSWIN32 ACCESS_VIOLATION filter */
# if !defined(MSWIN32) && !defined(MSWINCE)
    STATIC SIG_HNDLR_PTR GC_old_bus_handler = 0;
{+#   if defined(FREEBSD) || defined(HURD) || defined(HPUX)+}
      STATIC GC_bool GC_old_bus_handler_used_si = FALSE;
{+#   endif+}
    STATIC GC_bool GC_old_segv_handler_used_si = FALSE;

diff --git ./os_dep.c ./os_dep.c

@@ -3192,20 +3169,22 @@ GC_API GC_push_other_roots_proc GC_CALL GC_get_push_other_roots(void)
#           else
                GC_bool used_si;


{+#             if defined(FREEBSD) || defined(HURD) || defined(HPUX)+}
                if (sig == [-SIGSEGV) {-]
[-                   old_handler = GC_old_segv_handler;-]
[-                   used_si = GC_old_segv_handler_used_si;-]
[-                } else-]{+SIGBUS)+} {
                   old_handler = GC_old_bus_handler;
                   used_si = GC_old_bus_handler_used_si;
                {+} else+}
{+#             endif+}
{+                /* else */ {+}
{+                   old_handler = GC_old_segv_handler;+}
{+                   used_si = GC_old_segv_handler_used_si;+}
                }
#           endif

diff --git ./os_dep.c ./os_dep.c

#   if defined(HPUX) || defined(LINUX) || defined(HURD) \
       || (defined(FREEBSD) && defined(SUNOS5SIGS))
      sigaction(SIGBUS, &act, &oldact);
      if [-(oldact.sa_flags-]{+((oldact.sa_flags+} & SA_SIGINFO) {+!= 0)+} {
        GC_old_bus_handler = oldact.sa_sigaction;
{+#       if !defined(LINUX)+}
          GC_old_bus_handler_used_si = TRUE;
{+#       endif+}
      } else {
        GC_old_bus_handler = (SIG_HNDLR_PTR)oldact.sa_handler;
{+#       if !defined(LINUX)+}
          GC_old_bus_handler_used_si = FALSE;
{+#       endif+}
      }
      if (GC_old_bus_handler == (SIG_HNDLR_PTR)SIG_IGN) {
        [-if (GC_print_stats)-]
[-          GC_err_printf("Previously-]{+WARN("Previously+} ignored bus [-error!?\n");-]{+error!?\n", 0);+}
{+#       if !defined(LINUX)+}
          GC_old_bus_handler = (SIG_HNDLR_PTR)SIG_DFL;
{+#       else+}
{+          /* GC_old_bus_handler is not used by GC_write_fault_handler.  */+}
{+#       endif+}
      } {+else+} if (GC_old_bus_handler != (SIG_HNDLR_PTR)SIG_DFL) {
          [-if (GC_print_stats == VERBOSE)-]
[-          GC_log_printf("Replaced-]{+GC_VERBOSE_LOG_PRINTF("Replaced+} other SIGBUS handler\n");
      }
#   endif /* HPUX || LINUX || HURD || (FREEBSD && SUNOS5SIGS) */

Build

Here's a log of a boehm-gc build run; this is from Git commit d6c34577eeaba37ff08998d18676531082c040b6 (2016-03-18), and for libatomic_ops Git commit 01d2509c13f3aa7e03cb4cbf50fda08f98725ce4 (2016-03-24), run on kepler.SCHWINGE and laplace.SCHWINGE.

$ export LC_ALL=C
$ (cd ../master/ && ln -sfn ../libatomic_ops/master libatomic_ops)
$ (cd ../master/ && autoreconf -vfi)
$ ../master/configure --prefix="$PWD".install SHELL=/bin/bash CC=gcc-4.9 CXX=g++-4.9 --enable-cplusplus --enable-gc-debug --enable-gc-assertions --enable-assertions 2>&1 | tee log_build
[...]
$ make 2>&1 | tee log_build_
[...]

Different hosts may default to different shells and compiler versions; thus harmonized. Using bash instead of dash as otherwise libtool explodes.

Analysis

$ toolchain/logs/process boehm-gc build

only GNU/Linux: configure: WARNING: "Explicit GC_INIT() calls may be required."
only GNU/Linux: configure: WARNING: "Client must not use -fomit-frame-pointer."

Install

$ make install 2>&1 | tee log_install
[...]

Analysis

$ toolchain/logs/process boehm-gc install

Testsuite

$ make -k check 2>&1 | tee log_test
[...]
$ (cd libatomic_ops/ && make -k check) 2>&1 | tee log_test_
[...]

Analysis

$ toolchain/logs/process boehm-gc test

There are different configurations possible, but in general, the testsuite restults of GNU/Linux and GNU/Hurd look very similar.

GNU/Hurd is missing Call chain at allocation: [...] output.

os_dep.c:GC_print_callers

TODO

What are other applications to test Boehm GC? Also especially in combination with libpthread and dynamic loading of shared libraries?
- There are patches (apparently not committed) that GCC itself can use it, too: http://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/Garbage_collection_tuning.
- There's been some talking about it on GNU guile mailing lists, and two Git branches (2010-12-15: last change 2009-09).
- http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Hans_Boehm/gc/#users
- Boehm garbage collector

IRC, OFTC, #debian-hurd, 2012-02-05

<pinotree> youpi: i think i found out the possible cause of the ecl and
  mono issuess
<pinotree> -s
<youpi> oh
<pinotree> basically, we don't have the realtime signals (so no
  SIGRTMIN/SIGRTMAX defined), hence things use either SIGUSR1 or
  SIGUSR2... which are used in libgc to resp. stop/resume threads when
  "collecting"
<pinotree> i just patched ecl to use SIGINFO instead of SIGUSR1 (used when
  no SIGRTMIN+2 is available), and it seems going on for a while
<youpi> uh, why would SIGINFO work better than SIGUSR1?
<pinotree> it was a test, i tried the first "not common" signal i saw
<pinotree> my test was, use any signal different than USR1/2
<youpi> ah, sorry, I hadn't understood
<youpi> you mean there's a conflict between ecl and mono using SIGUSR1, as
  well as libgc?
<pinotree> yes
<pinotree> for example, in ecl sources see src/c/unixint.d,
  install_process_interrupt_handler()
<youpi> SIGINFO seems a sane choice
<youpi> SIGPWR could have been a better choice if it was available :)
<pinotree> i would have chose an "unassigned" number, say SIGLOST (the
  bigger one) + 10, but it would be greater than _NSIG (and thus discarded)
<youpi> not a good idea indeed
<pinotree> it seems that linux, beside the range for rt signals, has some
  "free space"
<pinotree> i'll start now another ecl build, from scratch this time, with
  s/SIGUSR1/SIGINFO/ (making sure ctags won't bother), and if it works i'll
  update svante's bug

<pinotree> mmap(...PROT_NONE...) failed
<pinotree> hmm...
<pinotree> apparently enabling MMAP_ANON in mono's libgc copy was a good
  step, let's see

IRC, OFTC, #debian-hurd, 2012-03-18

<pinotree> youpi: mono is afflicted by the SIGUSR1/2 conflict with libgc
<youpi> pinotree: didn't we have a solution for that?
<pinotree> well, it works just for one signal
<pinotree> the ideal solution would be having a range for RT signals, and
  make libgc use RTMIN+5/6, like done on most of other OSes
<youpi> but we don't have RT signals, do we?
<pinotree> right :(

IRC, freenode, #hurd, 2012-03-21

<pinotree> civodul: given we have to realtime signals (so no range of
  signals for them), libgc uses SIGUSR1/2 instead of using SIGRTMIN+5/6 for
  its thread synchronization stuff
<pinotree> civodul: which means that if an application using libgc then
  sets its own handlers for either of SIGUSR1/2, hell breaks
<civodul> pinotree: ok
<civodul> pinotree: is it a Debian-specific change, or included upstream?
<pinotree> libgc using SIGUSR1/2? upstream
<civodul> ok

IRC, freenode, #hurd, 2013-09-03

<congzhang> braunr: when will libc malloc say memory corruption?
<braunr> congzhang: usually on free
<braunr> sometimes on alloc
<congzhang> and after one thread be created
<congzhang> I want to know why and how to find the source
<congzhang> does libgc work well on hurd?
<braunr> i don't think it does
<congzhang> so , why it can't?
<braunr> congzhang: what ?
<congzhang> libgc was not work on hurd
<pinotree> why?
<congzhang> I try porting dotgnu
<braunr> ah
<braunr> nested signal handling
<congzhang> one program always receive Abort signal
<pinotree> and why it should be a problem in libgc?
<congzhang> for malloc memory corruption
<braunr> libgc relies on this
<congzhang> yes
<congzhang> so, is there a workaround to make it work? 
<braunr> show the error please
<congzhang> http://paste.debian.net/34416/
<pinotree> where's libgc?
<congzhang> i compile dotgnu with enable-gc
<pinotree> so?
<congzhang> I am not sure about it
<pinotree> so why did you say earlier that libgc doesn't work?
<congzhang> because after I see one thread was created notice by gdb, it
  memory corruption
<pinotree> so what?
<congzhang> maybe gabage collection happen, and gc thread start
<pinotree> that's speculation
<pinotree> you cannot debug things speculating on code you don't know
<pinotree> less speculation and more in-deep debugging, please
* congzhang I try again, to check weather thread list changing
<congzhang> sorry for this
<braunr> it simply looks like a real memory corruption (an overflow)
<congzhang> maybe PATH related problem
<pinotree> PATH?
<congzhang> yes
<braunr> PATH_MAX
<braunr> but unlikely
<congzhang> csant do path traverse
<congzhang> I fond the macro
<congzhang> found
<congzhang> #if defined(__sun__) || defined(__BEOS__)
<congzhang> #define     BROKEN_DIRENT   1
<congzhang> #endif
<congzhang> and so for hurd?
<pinotree> BROKEN_DIRENT doesn't say much about what it does
<WhiteKIBA> nope
<WhiteKIBA> whoops
<congzhang> it seems other port meet the trouble too
<pinotree> which trouble?
<congzhang> http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.comp.gnu.dotgnu.developer/3642
<congzhang> (gdb) ptype struct dirent
<congzhang> type = struct dirent {
<congzhang>     __ino_t d_ino;
<congzhang>     unsigned short d_reclen;
<congzhang>     unsigned char d_type;
<congzhang>     unsigned char d_namlen;
<congzhang>     char d_name[1];
<congzhang> }
<congzhang>  
<congzhang> d_name should be char[PATH_MAX]?
<congzhang> and
  http://libjit-linear-scan-register-allocator.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/pnet/support/dir.c
<pinotree> no
<braunr> stop pasting that much
<_d3f> uhm PATH_MAX on the hurd?
<braunr> and stop saying nonsense
<congzhang> sorry, i think four line was not worth to pastbin 
<pinotree> they are 8
<congzhang> never again
<braunr> just try by defining BROKEN_DIRENT to 1 in all cases and see how
  it goes
* congzhang read dir.c again
<congzhang> braunr: it does not crash this time, I do more test

IRC, freenode, #hurd, 2013-09-04

<congzhang> hi, I am dotgnu work on hurd, and even winforms app 
<congzhang> s/am/make
<congzhang> and maybe c# hello world translate another day :)

IRC, freenode, #hurd, 2013-12-16

<braunr> gnu_srs: ah, libgc
<braunr> there are signal-related problems with libgc

Leak Detection

IRC, freenode, #hurd, 2013-10-17

<teythoon> I spent the last two days integrating libgc - the boehm
  conservative garbage collector - into hurd
<teythoon> it can be used in leak detection mode
<azeem> whoa, cool
<teythoon> and it actually kind of works, finds malloc leaks in translators
<braunr> i think there were problems with signal handling in libgc
<braunr> i'm not sure we support nested signal handling well
<teythoon> yes, I read about them
<teythoon> libgc uses SIGUSR1/2, so any program installing handlers on them
  will break
<azeem> (which is not a problem on Linux, cause there some RT-signals or so
  are used)
<teythoon> yes