Change https://golang.org/cl/351850 mentions this issue: cmd/compile: recheck _type of itab when the address of itabs are not equal.

Here's an even trickier case:
plugin.go:

package main

func F(x interface{}) {
	if _, ok := x.([37]int); !ok {
		panic("bad")
	}
}

main.go:

package main

import (
	"plugin"
	"reflect"
)

func main() {
	at := reflect.ArrayOf(37, reflect.TypeOf(int(0)))
	a := reflect.New(at).Elem().Interface()

	p, err := plugin.Open("plugin.so")
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	s, err := p.Lookup("F")
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	f := s.(func(interface{}))
	f(a)
}

This panics in the plugin. The [37]int in the plugin doesn't look like the same type created by ArrayOf in the main program.

Note that if you move the at and a assignments to after the plugin.Open call, then it works fine.

This issue is about itabs, but the same underlying problem occurs - dynamically created types (created explicitly with reflect) or itabs (often created implicitly in type conversions) won't match with statically declared types or itabs in a plugin.

I think plugins are going to have to indirect all of their types and itabs, and resolve all of them at plugin load time, deduplicating with their dynamically created doppelgangers.

This case can reproduce,too.

pluginassert/main.go:

package main

import (
	"log"
	"plugin"
	"pluginassert/inter"
)

func main() {
	var c inter.C
	c = &inter.B{}
	a := c.(inter.A)
	a.Method1()
	p, err := plugin.Open("./pluginassert.so")
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatalln(err)
	}
	sym, err := p.Lookup("TestFunc")
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatalln(err)
	}

	testFunc := sym.(func(inter.A))
	testFunc(c.(inter.A))
}

The itab created by assertI2I , assertE2I in main process has the same problem.

Here's an even trickier case:
plugin.go:

package main

func F(x interface{}) {
	if _, ok := x.([37]int); !ok {
		panic("bad")
	}
}

main.go:

package main

import (
	"plugin"
	"reflect"
)

func main() {
	at := reflect.ArrayOf(37, reflect.TypeOf(int(0)))
	a := reflect.New(at).Elem().Interface()

	p, err := plugin.Open("plugin.so")
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	s, err := p.Lookup("F")
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	f := s.(func(interface{}))
	f(a)
}

This panics in the plugin. The [37]int in the plugin doesn't look like the same type created by ArrayOf in the main program.

Note that if you move the at and a assignments to after the plugin.Open call, then it works fine.

This issue is about itabs, but the same underlying problem occurs - dynamically created types (created explicitly with reflect) or itabs (often created implicitly in type conversions) won't match with statically declared types or itabs in a plugin.

I think plugins are going to have to indirect all of their types and itabs, and resolve all of them at plugin load time, deduplicating with their dynamically created doppelgangers.

genssa
# /plugin.go
00000 (3) TEXT "".F(SB), ABIInternal
00001 (3) FUNCDATA $0, gclocals·09cf9819fc716118c209c2d2155a3632(SB)
00002 (3) FUNCDATA $1, gclocals·69c1753bd5f81501d95132d08af04464(SB)
00003 (3) FUNCDATA $5, "".F.arginfo1(SB)
00004 (+4) LEAQ type.[37]int(SB), BX
00005 (4) CMPQ AX, BX
00006 (4) JNE 8
00007 (5) RET
00008 (4) LEAQ type.interface {}(SB), CX
00009 (4) PCDATA $1, $1
00010 (4) CALL runtime.panicdottypeE(SB)
00011 (4) XCHGL AX, AX
00012 (?) END

In this case, it compare the type field of eface and address of type.[37]int. This behavior is same with itab.
But it seems that in this case, we can't fix it by recheck.

Yes, I think for plugins we'll need to have an array of *runtime._type in the plugin's RW memory, and every place in the plugin that needs a type must load an entry from that array instead of using a direct LEAQ. The plugin starts with each of those entries pointing to a runtime.type in its own RO memory, but the plugin loader will need to iterate over that array and see if an equivalent type already exists in the runtime (or reflect?) type lists, and replace the array entry if so. Same for itabs.

I'm working on it. I will try to implement it.

I sent a CL for itabs, can you review the CL when you're free?
I tried to implement it by following your proposal. And I use the itablinks as the array that you mentioned.
Maybe there is some mistake or risk，please tell me, thank you!
https://go-review.googlesource.com/c/go/+/351850
@randall77

a.go:

package min

type InterA interface {
	Method1()
}

type ImplB struct{}

func (b *ImplB) Method1() {
	println("Method1 in B")
}

func TestFunc(a InterA) {
	b := a.(*ImplB)
	b.Method1()
}

Before my CL(go 1.17)：

$ go tool compile -S a.go
        ………………
"".TestFunc STEXT size=134 args=0x10 locals=0x20 funcid=0x0
        ………………
        0x001e 00030 (a.go:14)  LEAQ    go.itab.*"".ImplB,"".InterA(SB), DX
        0x0025 00037 (a.go:14)  CMPQ    AX, DX
        ………………

After my CL：

$ go tool compile -S a.go
        ………………
"".TestFunc STEXT size=134 args=0x10 locals=0x20 funcid=0x0
        ………………
        0x0020 00032 (a.go:14)  CMPQ    go.itabaddr.*"".ImplB,"".InterA(SB), AX
        ………………

go.itabaddr.*"".ImplB,"".InterA SNOPTRDATA dupok size=8
        0x0000 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00                          ........
        rel 0+8 t=1 go.itab.*"".ImplB,"".InterA+0

And in linker, runtime.itablilnk will be container symbol for all the symbols prefix with "go.itabaddr".
The address in runtime.itablilnk will be replaced when loading the plugin.

If we had our own dynamic linker...

Plugins already load the address of a type descriptor from the GOT entry. Can we modify the GOT entry? (I know this sounds crazy...)

Change https://golang.org/cl/362635 mentions this issue: cmd/go,cmd/compile: add flags to support store itab and type address for plugin

Change https://golang.org/cl/362935 mentions this issue: cmd/link: use .itabaddr section as itablink for plugin

Change https://golang.org/cl/362936 mentions this issue: runtime: rewrite the entries in moduledata.itablinks when loading a plugin

Change https://golang.org/cl/362937 mentions this issue: cmd/go,cmd/compile: add flags to support load address of itab and type from table

@cherrymui @randall77
I have sent some CL for this issue. I want to add a new gcflag to distinguish we should load address of itab from the new table or not. Could you review these CL continue?
The same way to resolve this bug of types is diffcult. If the proposal for itabs can be accepted. I will work for types continue.

I'm not sure that is the best way to resolve this. I'm still thinking if there is a better way (like, modifying the GOT?). And it is probably too late for 1.18.

I'm not sure that is the best way to resolve this. I'm still thinking if there is a better way (like, modifying the GOT?). And it is probably too late for 1.18.

Emm.. Maybe modifying the GOT is not a normal way.
It's okay for 1.19. If you can review the code of this way and give some advice, I will backport it to our own go and test it for a long time. Thank you!
Or I can try implementing the way of modifying the GOT. I think it should work, too.

I'm not sure modifying GOT is the best way, either. Maybe there is a simpler approach. We can still think about it.