Compiler Options Hardening Guide for C and C++

It is hard that people have to remember these options on a per-compiler basis. I'd rather prefer people use easy to remember flags like `-O2` than the word soup mentioned here.

Compiler writers should revisit their option matrices and come up with easy defaults today.

Disclaimer: Used to work on the GCC code for option handling back in the day. Options like -O2 map to a whole bunch of individual options, and people only needed to remember adding -O2, which corresponded to different values in every era and yet subjectively meant: decently optimized code.

> I'd rather prefer people use easy to remember flags

Like -fhardened?

Sure.

-f is technically machine independent.

-m should be used when having it implemented as machine dependent options.

So if you are telling me all these security features are only developed without requiring to implement per machine level support then it makes sense.

The interactions between different optimization passes may have surprising consequences.

Endless loops are technically undefined behavior, can be dropped, except for their assembly jump tag entry point, and collide with the next function's assembly jump tag.

All because of UB.

Huge headache. Try debugging that.

And interaction loops on games are sometimes endlessly waiting for input.

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you complaining because it has a leading -f instead of a different spelling?