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The current codebase makes use of the zero-length array language extension
to the C90 standard, but the preferred mechanism to declare variable-length
types such as these as a flexible array member [1][2], introduced in C99:
struct foo {
int stuff;
struct boo array[];
};
By making use of the mechanism above, we will get a compiler warning in
case the flexible array does not occur last in the structure, which will
help us prevent some kind of undefined behavior bugs from being
inadvertently introduced[3] to the codebase from now on.
Also, notice that dynamic memory allocations won't be affected by this
change:
Flexible array members have incomplete type, and so the sizeof operator
may not be applied. As a quirk of the original implementation of
zero-length arrays, sizeof evaluates to zero. [1]
sizeof(flexible-array-member) triggers a warning because flexible array
members have incomplete type [1]. There are some instances of code in which
the sizeof() operator is being incorrectly/erroneously applied to
zero-length arrays, and the result is zero. Such instances may be hiding
some bugs. So, this work (flexible-array member conversions) will also help
to get completely rid of those sorts of issues.
This issue was found with the help of Coccinelle.
[1] https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Zero-Length.html
[2] https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/21
[3] commit 7649773293 ("cxgb3/l2t: Fix undefined behaviour")
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20200507190544.GA15633@embeddedor
Signed-off-by: Gustavo A. R. Silva <gustavoars@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Bjorn Helgaas <bhelgaas@google.com>
Linux kernel
============
There are several guides for kernel developers and users. These guides can
be rendered in a number of formats, like HTML and PDF. Please read
Documentation/admin-guide/README.rst first.
In order to build the documentation, use ``make htmldocs`` or
``make pdfdocs``. The formatted documentation can also be read online at:
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/
There are various text files in the Documentation/ subdirectory,
several of them using the Restructured Text markup notation.
Please read the Documentation/process/changes.rst file, as it contains the
requirements for building and running the kernel, and information about
the problems which may result by upgrading your kernel.