Re: Update NASM to stable release 2.15.05

["Ni, Ray" <ray.ni@intel.com>]

Mike,
It‘s very good! It allows further NASM cleanup removing DB instructions.

Thanks,
Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: rfc@edk2.groups.io <rfc@edk2.groups.io> On Behalf Of Michael D Kinney
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2021 12:52 AM
To: devel@edk2.groups.io; Kinney, Michael D <michael.d.kinney@intel.com>; rfc@edk2.groups.io
Subject: [edk2-rfc] Update NASM to stable release 2.15.05

Hello,

I would like to propose that we update to a newer version of NASM.

	https://www.nasm.us/

The most recent stable version is 2.15.05.

	https://www.nasm.us/pub/nasm/releasebuilds/2.15.05/

NASM 2.15.05 Documentation:

	https://nasm.us/xdoc/2.15.05/html/
	https://nasm.us/xdoc/2.15.05/nasmdoc.pdf


The reason to update is to use a version of NASM that supports newer instructions that will allow the .nasm files with DB statements for instructions to be updated to use instruction names.  This improves the readability/maintenance of the .nasm source files:

	https://nasm.us/xdoc/2.15.05/html/nasmdocb.html#section-B.1.41

Also, the work on tools such as uncrustify to format source files require tests to make sure the source format changes do not cause any functional changes.  Compilers support flags for reproducible builds.  NASM 2.15.05 added the --reproducible flag that provides the same feature for OBJ files produces by NASM.

	https://nasm.us/xdoc/2.15.05/html/nasmdoc2.html#section-2.1.34


	2.1.34 The --reproducible Option
	
	If this option is given, NASM will not emit information that is
       inherently dependent on the NASM version or different from run to
       run (such as timestamps) into the output file.

Please let me know if there are any concerns with doing this tool update.
If there are no concerns, I will work on patches required to update EDK II CI to use NASM 2.15.05 and to update the developer documentation to require NASM 2.15.05 as the new minimum version.

Thanks,

Mike