This happens when C code calls into Go code before any Go code calls into C code. For example, it could happen if a C++ global constructor calls a Go function. I don't think there is any other way it could happen. In a program that uses cgo, needextram is initialized to 1. It is set to 0 in the first cgo call, and is never to set to 1 again. The error occurs when a call from C code to Go code sees that needextram is still set to 1.

In particular the failing test is TestStress.

process continue
Process 40912 resuming
=== RUN TestSignal
--- PASS: TestSignal (0.08s)
    signal_test.go:40: sighup...
    signal_test.go:49: sigwinch...
    signal_test.go:56: sighup...
    signal_test.go:59: sighup...
=== RUN TestStress
fatal error: cgo callback before cgo call
Process 40912 exited with status = 1 (0x00000001) 
go_darwin_arm_exec: exit status 253
exit status 1
FAIL    os/signal   6.183s

Mercifully this is SIGUSR1 which rules out the EXC_BAD_ACCESS handler. Unfortunately I fear that this is some kind of bug in lldb's signal interception and replaying. Still investigating.

My current working theory is that the new thread is getting a signal after the signal handler is installed but before it calls crosscall_arm1(ts.fn, ...). I believe this race exists on several platforms, but is much more likely on darwin/arm because darwin_arm_init_thread_exception_port happens in between.

https://github.com/golang/go/blob/master/src/runtime/cgo/gcc_darwin_arm.c#L70

A cheap workaround just for darwin/arm would be to have the new thread set a condition that the creating thread can wait on, and only unblock signals after that. That would reduce the race to what it is on other platforms.

If I'm right about this, a real fix would require the signals staying blocked until the new thread can successfully inform it that it is back in Go. Or have the signal handler know about this intermediate state. Not sure how to go about either option.

@ianlancetaylor does this theory make any sense?

The bug can only occur when C/C++ code, generated by cgo, calls into Go code before any Go code calls in C/C++ code. That is, something needs to call runtime·cgocallback_gofunc or runtime·cgocallback. So you are suggesting that when a signal occurs, it causes C/C++ code to call into Go code, even though nothing has called into C/C++ code. That would be a problem. But how could it happen?

You say that calling crosscall_arm has something to do with fixing this, but I don't see that. Perhaps there is a problem there, but I don't see how it could be this problem. This problem can only happen in a callback from C/C++ code. And, to be clear, it has to be a callback from code generated by cgo, or something that is behaving the way that cgo behaves. I don't see any cgo code in os/signal. So, is there cgo in the darwin/arm support? cgo code that calls exported Go functions? I don't see anything but I don't know if I am looking in the right places.

If the signal handler gets called somewhere around the call to darwin_arm_init_thread_exception_port, then the signal handler will be run. It will attempt to call load_g, which will fail and that will pass into badsignal.

In badsignal, there's a cgocallback. I think that's what's causing this.

No, I am misunderstanding pthread_create. All signals are blocked when it's called, and that means the new thread starts with all signals blocked and none pending. So that cannot be cause.

To confirm however, the cgocallback being triggered is the one in badsignal. (I put a print statement in it and then signal.TestStress eventually died trying to get runtime.printlock.)

Now what's not clear is how badsignal is being called.

Huh, badsignal uses cgocallback. That can't possibly work. It will fail any time a program that uses cgo starts a new thread that receives a signal before it makes any cgo calls. This isn't a matter of the signal mask or of the new thread preparing itself to receive signals. The only question is whether the program has made any cgo calls yet. If it hasn't, it is doomed. The comment in badsignal explains the situation well enough, without bothering to point out that this can happen for any signal, not just SIGPROF.

I think the only possible fix is for mstart1 to say something like

if needextram == 1 && cas(&needextram, 1, 0) {
    newextram()
}

before calling initsig. And then the check in badsignal is not needed.

I agree that we haven't found the cause of this bug yet, but we may as well fix badsignal on the way. After that's in, I'm going to do a bunch of instrumenting and see if I can work out what is happening.

@minux Yes, I was imprecise. It's when a thread is started by non-Go code before any cgo call, which does imply that the thread is started by a global constructor.

Tentatively closing this, it appears to be fixed by golang.org/cl/7978.