Explain stages in terms of the compiler currently running (take N+1)

src/building/bootstrapping.md

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ It must have been written in a different language. In Rust's case it was
 only way to build a modern version of rustc is a slightly less modern
 version.
 
-This is exactly how `x.py` works: it downloads the current `beta` release of
+This is exactly how `x.py` works: it downloads the current beta release of
 rustc, then uses it to compile the new compiler.
 
 ## Stages of bootstrapping
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ These defaults are as follows:
 
 You can always override the stage by passing `--stage N` explicitly.
 
+For more information about stages, [see below](#understanding-stages-of-bootstrap).
+
 ## Complications of bootstrapping
 
 Since the build system uses the current beta compiler to build the stage-1
@@ -122,50 +124,135 @@ contribution [here][bootstrap-build].
 
 ## Understanding stages of bootstrap
 
-This is a detailed look into the separate bootstrap stages. When running
-`x.py` you will see output such as:
-
-```txt
-Building stage0 std artifacts
-Copying stage0 std from stage0
-Building stage0 compiler artifacts
-Copying stage0 rustc from stage0
-Building LLVM for x86_64-apple-darwin
-Building stage0 codegen artifacts
-Assembling stage1 compiler
-Building stage1 std artifacts
-Copying stage1 std from stage1
-Building stage1 compiler artifacts
-Copying stage1 rustc from stage1
-Building stage1 codegen artifacts
-Assembling stage2 compiler
-Uplifting stage1 std
-Copying stage2 std from stage1
-Generating unstable book md files
-Building stage0 tool unstable-book-gen
-Building stage0 tool rustbook
-Documenting standalone
-Building rustdoc for stage2
-Documenting book redirect pages
-Documenting stage2 std
-Building rustdoc for stage1
-Documenting stage2 whitelisted compiler
-Documenting stage2 compiler
-Documenting stage2 rustdoc
-Documenting error index
-Uplifting stage1 rustc
-Copying stage2 rustc from stage1
-Building stage2 tool error_index_generator
-```
+### Overview
+
+This is a detailed look into the separate bootstrap stages.
+
+The convention `x.py` uses is that:
+- A `--stage N` flag means to run the stage N compiler (`stageN/rustc`).
+- A "stage N artifact" is a build artifact that is _produced_ by the stage N compiler.
+- The "stage (N+1) compiler" is assembled from "stage N artifacts". This
+  process is called _uplifting_.
+
+#### Build artifacts
+
+Anything you can build with `x.py` is a _build artifact_.
+Build artifacts include, but are not limited to:
+
+- binaries, like `stage0-rustc/rustc-main`
+- shared objects, like `stage0-sysroot/rustlib/libstd-6fae108520cf72fe.so`
+- [rlib] files, like `stage0-sysroot/rustlib/libstd-6fae108520cf72fe.rlib`
+- HTML files generated by rustdoc, like `doc/std`
+
+[rlib]: ../serialization.md
+
+#### Examples
+
+- `x.py build --stage 0` means to build with the beta `rustc`.
+- `x.py doc --stage 0` means to document using the beta `rustdoc`.
+- `x.py test --stage 0 library/std` means to run tests on the standard library
+    without building `rustc` from source ('build with stage 0, then test the
+  artifacts'). If you're working on the standard library, this is normally the
+  test command you want.
+- `x.py test src/test/ui` means to build the stage 1 compiler and run
+  `compiletest` on it. If you're working on the compiler, this is normally the
+  test command you want.
+
+#### Examples of what *not* to do
+
+- `x.py test --stage 0 src/test/ui` is not meaningful: it runs tests on the
+  _beta_ compiler and doesn't build `rustc` from source. Use `test src/test/ui`
+  instead, which builds stage 1 from source.
+- `x.py test --stage 0 compiler/rustc` builds the compiler but runs no tests:
+  it's running `cargo test -p rustc`, but cargo doesn't understand Rust's
+  tests. You shouldn't need to use this, use `test` instead (without arguments).
+- `x.py build --stage 0 compiler/rustc` builds the compiler, but does not make
+  it usable: the build artifacts are not assembled into the final compiler
+  ([#73519]). Use `x.py build library/std` instead, which puts the compiler in
+  `stage1/rustc`.
+
+[#73519]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/73519
+
+### Building vs. Running
+
 
-A deeper look into `x.py`'s phases can be seen here:
+Note that `build --stage N compiler/rustc` **does not** build the stage N compiler:
+instead it builds the stage _N+1_ compiler _using_ the stage N compiler.
+
+In short, _stage 0 uses the stage0 compiler to create stage0 artifacts which
+will later be uplifted to be the stage1 compiler_.
+
+In each stage, two major steps are performed:
+
+1. `std` is compiled by the stage N compiler.
+2. That `std` is linked to programs built by the stage N compiler, including
+   the stage N artifacts (stage (N+1) compiler).
+
+This is somewhat intuitive if one thinks of the stage N artifacts as "just"
+another program we are building with the stage N compiler:
+`build --stage N compiler/rustc` is linking the stage N artifacts to the `std`
+built by the stage N compiler.
+
+Here is a chart of a full build using `x.py`:
 
 <img alt="A diagram of the rustc compilation phases" src="../img/rustc_stages.svg" class="center" />
 
 Keep in mind this diagram is a simplification, i.e. `rustdoc` can be built at
 different stages, the process is a bit different when passing flags such as
 `--keep-stage`, or if there are non-host targets.
 
+The stage 2 compiler is what is shipped to end-users.
+
+### Stages and `std`
+
+Note that there are two `std` libraries in play here:
+1. The library _linked_ to `stageN/rustc`, which was built by stage N-1 (stage N-1 `std`)
+2. The library _used to compile programs_ with `stageN/rustc`, which was
+   built by stage N (stage N `std`).
+
+Stage N `std` is pretty much necessary for any useful work with the stage N compiler.
+Without it, you can only compile programs with `#![no_core]` -- not terribly useful!
+
+The reason these need to be different is because they aren't necessarily ABI-compatible:
+there could be a new layout optimizations, changes to MIR, or other changes
+to Rust metadata on nightly that aren't present in beta.
+
+This is also where `--keep-stage 1 library/std` comes into play. Since most
+changes to the compiler don't actually change the ABI, once you've produced a
+`std` in stage 1, you can probably just reuse it with a different compiler.
+If the ABI hasn't changed, you're good to go, no need to spend time
+recompiling that `std`.
+`--keep-stage` simply assumes the previous compile is fine and copies those
+artifacts into the appropriate place, skipping the cargo invocation.
+
+### Cross-compiling
+
+Building stage2 `std` is different depending on whether you are cross-compiling or not
+(see in the table how stage2 only builds non-host `std` targets).
+This is because `x.py` uses a trick: if `HOST` and `TARGET` are the same,
+it will reuse stage1 `std` for stage2! This is sound because stage1 `std`
+was compiled with the stage1 compiler, i.e. a compiler using the source code
+you currently have checked out. So it should be identical (and therefore ABI-compatible)
+to the `std` that `stage2/rustc` would compile.
+
+However, when cross-compiling, stage1 `std` will only run on the host.
+So the stage2 compiler has to recompile `std` for the target.
+
+### Why does only libstd use `cfg(bootstrap)`?
+
+The `rustc` generated by the stage0 compiler is linked to the freshly-built
+`std`, which means that for the most part only `std` needs to be cfg-gated,
+so that `rustc` can use features added to std immediately after their addition,
+without need for them to get into the downloaded beta.
+
+Note this is different from any other Rust program: stage1 `rustc`
+is built by the _beta_ compiler, but using the _master_ version of libstd!
+
+The only time `rustc` uses `cfg(bootstrap)` is when it adds internal lints
+that use diagnostic items. This happens very rarely.
+
+### Directories and artifacts generated by x.py
+
 The following tables indicate the outputs of various stage actions:
 
 | Stage 0 Action                                            | Output                                       |
@@ -178,7 +265,7 @@ The following tables indicate the outputs of various stage actions:
 | copy `stage0-rustc (except executable)`                   | `build/HOST/stage0-sysroot/lib/rustlib/HOST` |
 | build `llvm`                                              | `build/HOST/llvm`                            |
 | `stage0` builds `codegen` with `stage0-sysroot`           | `build/HOST/stage0-codegen/HOST`             |
-| `stage0` builds `rustdoc` with `stage0-sysroot`           | `build/HOST/stage0-tools/HOST`               |
+| `stage0` builds `rustdoc`, `clippy`, `miri`, with `stage0-sysroot` | `build/HOST/stage0-tools/HOST`      |
 
 `--stage=0` stops here.
 
@@ -201,93 +288,19 @@ The following tables indicate the outputs of various stage actions:
 | copy (uplift) `stage1-sysroot`                         | `build/HOST/stage2/lib and build/HOST/stage2/lib/rustlib/HOST`  |
 | `stage2` builds `test`/`std` (not HOST targets)        | `build/HOST/stage2-std/TARGET`                                  |
 | copy `stage2-std` (not HOST targets)                   | `build/HOST/stage2/lib/rustlib/TARGET`                          |
-| `stage2` builds `rustdoc`                              | `build/HOST/stage2-tools/HOST`                                  |
+| `stage2` builds `rustdoc`, `clippy`, `miri`            | `build/HOST/stage2-tools/HOST`                                  |
 | copy `rustdoc`                                         | `build/HOST/stage2/bin`                                         |
 
 `--stage=2` stops here.
 
-Note that the convention `x.py` uses is that:
-- A "stage N artifact" is an artifact that is _produced_ by the stage N compiler.
-- The "stage (N+1) compiler" is assembled from "stage N artifacts".
-- A `--stage N` flag means build _with_ stage N.
-
-In short, _stage 0 uses the stage0 compiler to create stage0 artifacts which
-will later be uplifted to stage1_.
-
-Every time any of the main artifacts (`std` and `rustc`) are compiled, two
-steps are performed.
-When `std` is compiled by a stage N compiler, that `std` will be linked to
-programs built by the stage N compiler (including `rustc` built later
-on). It will also be used by the stage (N+1) compiler to link against itself.
-This is somewhat intuitive if one thinks of the stage (N+1) compiler as "just"
-another program we are building with the stage N compiler. In some ways, `rustc`
-(the binary, not the `rustbuild` step) could be thought of as one of the few
-`no_core` binaries out there.
-
-So "stage0 std artifacts" are in fact the output of the downloaded stage0
-compiler, and are going to be used for anything built by the stage0 compiler:
-e.g. `rustc` artifacts. When it announces that it is "building stage1
-std artifacts" it has moved on to the next bootstrapping phase. This pattern
-continues in latter stages.
-
-Also note that building host `std` and target `std` are different based on the
-stage (e.g. see in the table how stage2 only builds non-host `std` targets.
-This is because during stage2, the host `std` is uplifted from the "stage 1"
-`std` -- specifically, when "Building stage 1 artifacts" is announced, it is
-later copied into stage2 as well (both the compiler's `libdir` and the
-`sysroot`).
-
-This `std` is pretty much necessary for any useful work with the compiler.
-Specifically, it's used as the `std` for programs compiled by the newly compiled
-compiler (so when you compile `fn main() { }` it is linked to the last `std`
-compiled with `x.py build library/std`).
-
-The `rustc` generated by the stage0 compiler is linked to the freshly-built
-`std`, which means that for the most part only `std` needs to be cfg-gated,
-so that `rustc` can use featured added to std immediately after their addition,
-without need for them to get into the downloaded beta. The `std` built by the
-`stage1/bin/rustc` compiler, also known as "stage1 std artifacts", is not
-necessarily ABI-compatible with that compiler.
-That is, the `rustc` binary most likely could not use this `std` itself.
-It is however ABI-compatible with any programs that the `stage1/bin/rustc`
-binary builds (including itself), so in that sense they're paired.
-
-This is also where `--keep-stage 1 library/std` comes into play. Since most
-changes to the compiler don't actually change the ABI, once you've produced a
-`std` in stage 1, you can probably just reuse it with a different compiler.
-If the ABI hasn't changed, you're good to go, no need to spend the time
-recompiling that `std`.
-`--keep-stage` simply assumes the previous compile is fine and copies those
-artifacts into the appropriate place, skipping the cargo invocation.
-
-The reason we first build `std`, then `rustc`, is largely just
-because we want to minimize `cfg(stage0)` in the code for `rustc`.
-Currently `rustc` is always linked against a "new" `std` so it doesn't
-ever need to be concerned with differences in std; it can assume that the std is
-as fresh as possible.
-
-The reason we need to build it twice is because of ABI compatibility.
-The beta compiler has it's own ABI, and then the `stage1/bin/rustc` compiler
-will produce programs/libraries with the new ABI.
-We used to build three times, but because we assume that the ABI is constant
-within a codebase, we presume that the libraries produced by the "stage2"
-compiler (produced by the `stage1/bin/rustc` compiler) is ABI-compatible with
-the `stage1/bin/rustc` compiler's produced libraries.
-What this means is that we can skip that final compilation -- and simply use the
-same libraries as the `stage2/bin/rustc` compiler uses itself for programs it
-links against.
-
-This `stage2/bin/rustc` compiler is shipped to end-users, along with the
-`stage 1 {std,rustc}` artifacts.
-
 ## Passing stage-specific flags to `rustc`
 
 `x.py` allows you to pass stage-specific flags to `rustc` when bootstrapping.
 The `RUSTFLAGS_STAGE_0`, `RUSTFLAGS_STAGE_1` and `RUSTFLAGS_STAGE_2`
 environment variables pass the given flags when building stage 0, 1, and 2
 artifacts respectively.
 
-Additionally, the `RUSTFLAGS_STAGE_NOT_0` variable, as its name suggests, pass
+Additionally, the `RUSTFLAGS_STAGE_NOT_0` variable, as its name suggests, passes
 the given arguments if the stage is not 0.
 
 ## Environment Variables