From 2dac0866f1aeff0f40182d40eb35f41bfc2b099b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Fabiana Cecin <fabiana@waku.org>
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2026 07:10:02 -0300
Subject: [PATCH] chore: optimize release builds for speed (#3735) (#3777)

* Add -flto (lto_incremental, link-time optimization) for release builds
* Add -s (strip symbols) for release builds
* Switch library builds from --opt:size to --opt:speed
* Change -d:marchOptimized to x86-64-v2 target from broadwell
* Remove obsolete chronicles_colors=off for Windows
* Remove obsolete withoutPCRE define
---
 Makefile    |  2 +-
 config.nims | 14 +++++---------
 waku.nimble |  6 +++---
 3 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 37341792c..809c191fd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ deps: | deps-common nat-libs waku.nims
 
 # "-d:release" implies "--stacktrace:off" and it cannot be added to config.nims
 ifeq ($(DEBUG), 0)
-NIM_PARAMS := $(NIM_PARAMS) -d:release
+NIM_PARAMS := $(NIM_PARAMS) -d:release -d:lto_incremental -d:strip
 else
 NIM_PARAMS := $(NIM_PARAMS) -d:debug
 endif
diff --git a/config.nims b/config.nims
index f74fe183f..0655bf092 100644
--- a/config.nims
+++ b/config.nims
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@ if defined(windows):
     # set the IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE flag so we can use PAE, if enabled, and access more than 2 GiB of RAM
     switch("passL", "-Wl,--large-address-aware")
 
-  # The dynamic Chronicles output currently prevents us from using colors on Windows
-  # because these require direct manipulations of the stdout File object.
-  switch("define", "chronicles_colors=off")
-
 # https://github.com/status-im/nimbus-eth2/blob/stable/docs/cpu_features.md#ssse3-supplemental-sse3
 # suggests that SHA256 hashing with SSSE3 is 20% faster than without SSSE3, so
 # given its near-ubiquity in the x86 installed base, it renders a distribution
@@ -52,9 +48,10 @@ if defined(disableMarchNative):
       switch("passL", "-march=haswell -mtune=generic")
     else:
       if defined(marchOptimized):
-        # https://github.com/status-im/nimbus-eth2/blob/stable/docs/cpu_features.md#bmi2--adx
-        switch("passC", "-march=broadwell -mtune=generic")
-        switch("passL", "-march=broadwell -mtune=generic")
+        # -march=broadwell: https://github.com/status-im/nimbus-eth2/blob/stable/docs/cpu_features.md#bmi2--adx
+        # Changed to x86-64-v2 for broader support
+        switch("passC", "-march=x86-64-v2 -mtune=generic")
+        switch("passL", "-march=x86-64-v2 -mtune=generic")
       else:
         switch("passC", "-mssse3")
         switch("passL", "-mssse3")
@@ -76,6 +73,7 @@ else:
   on
 --opt:
   speed
+
 --excessiveStackTrace:
   on
 # enable metric collection
@@ -85,8 +83,6 @@ else:
 --define:
   nimTypeNames
 
-switch("define", "withoutPCRE")
-
 # the default open files limit is too low on macOS (512), breaking the
 # "--debugger:native" build. It can be increased with `ulimit -n 1024`.
 if not defined(macosx) and not defined(android):
diff --git a/waku.nimble b/waku.nimble
index c63d20246..a8959b6a3 100644
--- a/waku.nimble
+++ b/waku.nimble
@@ -70,17 +70,17 @@ proc buildLibrary(name: string, srcDir = "./", params = "", `type` = "static") =
     extra_params &= " " & paramStr(i)
   if `type` == "static":
     exec "nim c" & " --out:build/" & name &
-      ".a --threads:on --app:staticlib --opt:size --noMain --mm:refc --header -d:metrics --nimMainPrefix:libwaku --skipParentCfg:on -d:discv5_protocol_id=d5waku " &
+      ".a --threads:on --app:staticlib --opt:speed --noMain --mm:refc --header -d:metrics --nimMainPrefix:libwaku --skipParentCfg:on -d:discv5_protocol_id=d5waku " &
       extra_params & " " & srcDir & name & ".nim"
   else:
     let lib_name = (when defined(windows): toDll(name) else: name & ".so")
     when defined(windows):
       exec "nim c" & " --out:build/" & lib_name &
-        " --threads:on --app:lib --opt:size --noMain --mm:refc --header -d:metrics --nimMainPrefix:libwaku --skipParentCfg:off -d:discv5_protocol_id=d5waku " &
+        " --threads:on --app:lib --opt:speed --noMain --mm:refc --header -d:metrics --nimMainPrefix:libwaku --skipParentCfg:off -d:discv5_protocol_id=d5waku " &
         extra_params & " " & srcDir & name & ".nim"
     else:
       exec "nim c" & " --out:build/" & lib_name &
-        " --threads:on --app:lib --opt:size --noMain --mm:refc --header -d:metrics --nimMainPrefix:libwaku --skipParentCfg:on -d:discv5_protocol_id=d5waku " &
+        " --threads:on --app:lib --opt:speed --noMain --mm:refc --header -d:metrics --nimMainPrefix:libwaku --skipParentCfg:on -d:discv5_protocol_id=d5waku " &
         extra_params & " " & srcDir & name & ".nim"
 
 proc buildMobileAndroid(srcDir = ".", params = "") =