MIPS-elf relocs not like i386-elf sparc-elf

[plai at Lynx dot COM (Paul Lai)]

PROBLEM SYNOPSIS:

It seems that mips32-elf assembler generates section relative relocs
for global symbols defined within the same object file.  Whereas on other
targets, i386-elf (linux-elf) and sparc-elf (sparc-solaris), all reference
the globals through the GOT.

QUESTIONS:
Is this correct behaviour for the mips-elf assembler? 
If so, why and what reference defines this behaviour?
If not, where to be fixed?


TESTCASE:

Given the test code:
	foo()
	{
		bar();
		extfunc();
	}

	bar() {}

MIPS DATA:

I find that the mips-elf compiler generates fairly generic references to the
symbols 'bar' and 'extfunc' :
		....
	foo:
		....
		la      $25,bar
		jal     $31,$25
		la      $25,extfunc
		jal     $31,$25
		....

But the assmebler will generate an object where the reloc for 'bar' is
section (.text) relative, rather than GOT relative.
objdump -d --reloc snippet:

	....
	  24:   8f990000        lw      $t9,0($gp)
				24: R_MIPS_GOT16        .text
	  28:   00000000        nop
	  2c:   27390060        addiu   $t9,$t9,96
				2c: R_MIPS_LO16 .text
	  30:   0320f809        jalr    $t9
	  34:   00000000        nop
	  38:   8fdc0010        lw      $gp,16($s8)
	  3c:   8f990000        lw      $t9,0($gp)
				3c: R_MIPS_GOT16        extfunc
	  40:   0320f809        jalr    $t9
	....

SPARC-ELF DATA:

On an sparc-elf (solaris), objdump -d --reloc shows:
	...
   4:   40 00 00 00     call  4 <foo+0x4>
                        4: R_SPARC_WDISP30      bar
   8:   01 00 00 00     nop 
   c:   40 00 00 00     call  c <foo+0xc>
                        c: R_SPARC_WDISP30      extfunc
  10:   01 00 00 00     nop 
	...

i386-ELF DATA:

On an i386-elf (linux), objdump -d --reloc shows:
	...
  10:   e8 fc ff ff ff  call   11 <foo+0x11>
                        11: R_386_PLT32 bar
  15:   e8 fc ff ff ff  call   16 <foo+0x16>
                        16: R_386_PLT32 extfunc
	...