How to use -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions -XX:CompileCommand=print option with JVM HotSpot

assembly, java, java-7, jvm

Solution

These instructions apply to Linux (Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS), but should be applicable for your OS. After downloading Oracle JDK 7u3 and appropriately setting your `JAVA_HOME` and `PATH` environment variables, execute the following to check available options:

java -XX:+AggressiveOpts -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+PrintFlagsFinal -version

You should see the `UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions`, `CompileCommand` and `PrintAssembly` options are available. Using the `CompileCommand` option will also enable the `PrintAssembly` option. However, you will need the HotSpot disassembler plugin for `PrintAssembly` to work; without it, you might see something like the following:

$ java -version
java version "1.7.0_03"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_03-b04)
Java HotSpot(TM) Server VM (build 22.1-b02, mixed mode)
$ java -server -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions '-XX:CompileCommand=print,*Main.main' Main
CompilerOracle: print *Main.main
Java HotSpot(TM) Server VM warning: printing of assembly code is enabled; turning on DebugNonSafepoints to gain additional output
Compiled method (c2)      68    1 %           Main::main @ 4 (49 bytes)
 total in heap  [0xb3a97548,0xb3a979ec] = 1188
 relocation     [0xb3a97610,0xb3a97624] = 20
 main code      [0xb3a97640,0xb3a97840] = 512
 stub code      [0xb3a97840,0xb3a97850] = 16
 oops           [0xb3a97850,0xb3a97858] = 8
 scopes data    [0xb3a97858,0xb3a97898] = 64
 scopes pcs     [0xb3a97898,0xb3a979e8] = 336
 dependencies   [0xb3a979e8,0xb3a979ec] = 4
Could not load hsdis-i386.so; library not loadable; PrintAssembly is disabled
OopMapSet contains 1 OopMaps

To get the HotSpot disassembler plugin, you will need to build it. Looking at the OpenJDK 7u2 source, the hsdis plugin readme says:

To use the plugin with a JVM, you need a new version that can load it. If the product mode of your JVM does not accept -XX:+PrintAssembly, you do not have a version that is new enough.

To build this project you [need] a copy of GNU binutils to build against.

In theory this should be buildable on Windows but getting a working GNU build environment on Windows has proven difficult.

We have confirmed above that Oracle JDK 7u3 supports `PrintAssembly`. I followed the hsdis plugin readme instructions, downloaded GNU binutils 2.22, placed it in the hsdis `build/binutils` directory and ran `make`. This eventually produced the following error:

hsdis.c:32:20: error: sysdep.h: No such file or directory

To correct this, I changed hsdis.c using the following patch:

diff -r 6259c6d3bbb7 src/share/tools/hsdis/hsdis.c
--- a/src/share/tools/hsdis/hsdis.c Mon Dec 12 23:08:01 2011 -0800
+++ b/src/share/tools/hsdis/hsdis.c Thu Feb 23 09:26:37 2012 -0500
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@

 #include "hsdis.h"

-#include <sysdep.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <libiberty.h>
 #include <bfd.h>
 #include <dis-asm.h>

Running `make` was then successful. Now just copy the `hsdis-i386.so` plugin in the hsdis `build` directory to the Oracle JDK 7u3 `jre/lib/i386` directory.

Now you can see the disassembled compiled code:

$ java -server -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions '-XX:CompileCommand=print,*Main.main' Main
CompilerOracle: print *Main.main
Java HotSpot(TM) Server VM warning: printing of assembly code is enabled; turning on DebugNonSafepoints to gain additional output
Compiled method (c2)      68    1 %           Main::main @ 4 (49 bytes)
 total in heap  [0xb3999548,0xb39999ec] = 1188
 relocation     [0xb3999610,0xb3999624] = 20
 main code      [0xb3999640,0xb3999840] = 512
 stub code      [0xb3999840,0xb3999850] = 16
 oops           [0xb3999850,0xb3999858] = 8
 scopes data    [0xb3999858,0xb3999898] = 64
 scopes pcs     [0xb3999898,0xb39999e8] = 336
 dependencies   [0xb39999e8,0xb39999ec] = 4
Loaded disassembler from [snip]/jdk1.7.0_03/jre/lib/i386/hsdis-i386.so
Decoding compiled method 0xb3999548:
Code:
[Disassembling for mach='i386']
[Entry Point]
[Verified Entry Point]
[Constants]
  # {method} 'main' '([Ljava/lang/String;)V' in 'Main'
  0xb3999640: call   0xb6ff8510         ;   {runtime_call}
  0xb3999645: data32 xchg %ax,%ax
  0xb3999648: mov    %eax,-0x3000(%esp)
  0xb399964f: push   %ebp
  0xb3999650: sub    $0x38,%esp
  0xb3999656: mov    %ecx,%esi
  0xb3999658: mov    0x4(%esi),%ebp
  0xb399965b: mov    0x8(%esi),%edi
  0xb399965e: mov    (%ecx),%esi
  0xb3999660: mov    %ecx,(%esp)
  0xb3999663: call   0xb7078cf0         ;*iload_3
[snip]
  0xb399983e: hlt    
  0xb399983f: hlt    
[Exception Handler]
[Stub Code]
  0xb3999840: jmp    0xb39981e0         ;   {no_reloc}
[Deopt Handler Code]
  0xb3999845: push   $0xb3999845        ;   {section_word}
  0xb399984a: jmp    0xb397e220         ;   {runtime_call}
  0xb399984f: .byte 0x0
OopMapSet contains 1 OopMaps

#0 
OopMap{off=468}

The test class I've used is:

public class Main {
    public static void main(final String[] args) {
        long x = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < 1000000; i++) {
            x += calculate(i);
        }
        System.out.println("x=" + x);
    }

    private static long calculate(final int i) {
        return (long)i * (long)i;
    }
}

Problem

I 'm trying to use `-XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions -XX:CompileCommand=print,*MyClass.myMethod` command lines as described in this post. It seems thats it's available with `open-jdk` (https://wikis.oracle.com/display/HotSpotInternals/PrintAssembly). How can I use those options (or similar equivalents) with oracle JDK7 and the JVM HotSpot?

Original source

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