Re: [PATCH] drivers/video/pmag-ba-fb.c: Improve diagnostics

From: Maciej W. Rozycki
Date: Thu Sep 20 2007 - 08:53:05 EST


On Wed, 19 Sep 2007, Andrew Morton wrote:

> > patch-mips-2.6.23-rc5-20070904-pmag-ba-err-2
> > diff -up --recursive --new-file linux-mips-2.6.23-rc5-20070904.macro/drivers/video/pmag-ba-fb.c linux-mips-2.6.23-rc5-20070904/drivers/video/pmag-ba-fb.c
> > --- linux-mips-2.6.23-rc5-20070904.macro/drivers/video/pmag-ba-fb.c 2007-02-21 05:56:47.000000000 +0000
> > +++ linux-mips-2.6.23-rc5-20070904/drivers/video/pmag-ba-fb.c 2007-09-18 10:56:51.000000000 +0000
> > @@ -147,16 +147,23 @@ static int __init pmagbafb_probe(struct
> > resource_size_t start, len;
> > struct fb_info *info;
> > struct pmagbafb_par *par;
> > + int err = 0;
>
> This initialisation to zero is not good.
>
> Because if some error-path code forgot to do `err = -EFOO' then probe()
> will return zero and the driver will leave things in half-initialised state
> and will then proceed as if things had succeeded. It will crash.

GCC used to complain: "`foo' might be used uninitialized..." and this is
the usual cure; let me see if this not the case anymore (I have 4.1.2).

> So it's better to leave this local uninitialised, because we really want to
> get that compiler warning if someone forgot to set the return value.

Yes of course, barring the issue mentioned. Note the message above is
not the same as: "`foo' is used uninitialized..." that would be reported
in the case which you are concerned of.

> I made that change, but am too stupid to be able to work out how to create
> a config which will let me compile this thing.
>
> akpm:/usr/src/25> grep PMAG arch/arm/configs/*
> akpm:/usr/src/25>

TURBOchannel is currently MIPS only:

$ grep PMAG arch/mips/configs/*
arch/mips/configs/decstation_defconfig:# CONFIG_FB_PMAG_AA is not set
arch/mips/configs/decstation_defconfig:CONFIG_FB_PMAG_BA=y
arch/mips/configs/decstation_defconfig:CONFIG_FB_PMAGB_B=y
$

Thanks for your review.

Maciej
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/