cmd/compile, cmd/link: relocation target go.builtin.error.Error not defined

[akavel]

What version of Go are you using (go version)?

$ go version
go version go1.11.3 linux/amd64

Does this issue reproduce with the latest release?

yes

What operating system and processor architecture are you using (go env)?

Repro on play.golang.org.

What did you do?

https://play.golang.org/p/6NvGso5fqRg

package main

import (
	"fmt"
)

func main() {
	var err error
	fmt.Println(error.Error(err))
}

What did you expect to see?

Some understandable/user-friendly error message, pointing to line 9. (Or, actually, maybe this line is actually correct and should compile? Not 100% sure. With go1.9 it seemed to compile correctly and work!)

What did you see instead?

main.main: relocation target go.builtin.error.Error not defined

[bradfitz]

This worked in Go 1.10 but was broken in Go 1.11.

cmd/compile succeeds but cmd/link fails. Not sure whether cmd/compile output garbage, though.

bradfitz@gdev:~$ cat > x.go
package main

import (
        "fmt"
        "reflect"
)

func main() {
        fmt.Println(reflect.TypeOf(error.Error))
}


bradfitz@gdev:~$ GOROOT=$HOME/go1.10 go run x.go
func(error) string

bradfitz@gdev:~$ GOROOT=$HOME/go1.11 go run x.go
# command-line-arguments
go.builtin.error.Error·f: relocation target go.builtin.error.Error not defined

bradfitz@gdev:~$ go run x.go
# command-line-arguments
go.builtin.error.Error·f: relocation target go.builtin.error.Error not defined

/cc @griesemer @mdempsky @josharian @cherrymui @heschik @ianlancetaylor

[bradfitz]

Probably warrants a backport too.

[ALTree]

git bisect points to 80bbad0 (cmd/compile: omit unnecessary interface method expression wrappers).

[griesemer]

Simpler reproducer:

package main

func main() {
	_ = error.Error(nil)
}

[gopherbot]

Change https://golang.org/cl/154578 mentions this issue: cmd/compile: generate interface method expression wrapper for error.Error

[bradfitz]

@gopherbot, please backport to Go 1.11.