[PATCH net-next v2] uapi: wrap compiler_types.h in an ifdef instead of the implicit strip

From: Jakub Kicinski
Date: Mon Aug 25 2025 - 16:18:53 EST


The uAPI stddef header includes compiler_types.h, a kernel-only
header, to make sure that kernel definitions of annotations
like __counted_by() take precedence.

There is a hack in scripts/headers_install.sh which strips includes
of compiler.h and compiler_types.h when installing uAPI headers.
While explicit handling makes sense for compiler.h, which is included
all over the uAPI, compiler_types.h is only included by stddef.h
(within the uAPI, obviously it's included in kernel code a lot).

Remove the stripping from scripts/headers_install.sh and wrap
the include of compiler_types.h in #ifdef __KERNEL__ instead.
This should be equivalent functionally, but is easier to understand
to a casual reader of the code. It also makes it easier to work
with kernel headers directly from under tools/

Signed-off-by: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
v2:
- remove the hack from scripts/headers_install.sh
- wrap in __KERNEL__ instead of removing
v1: https://lore.kernel.org/20250818181848.799566-1-kuba@xxxxxxxxxx

CC: dhowells@xxxxxxxxxx
CC: kees@xxxxxxxxxx
CC: gustavoars@xxxxxxxxxx
CC: aleksander.lobakin@xxxxxxxxx
CC: tstruk@xxxxxxxxxx
---
scripts/headers_install.sh | 2 +-
include/uapi/linux/stddef.h | 2 ++
2 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/scripts/headers_install.sh b/scripts/headers_install.sh
index 6bbccb43f7e7..4c20c62c4faf 100755
--- a/scripts/headers_install.sh
+++ b/scripts/headers_install.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ fi
sed -E -e '
s/([[:space:](])(__user|__force|__iomem)[[:space:]]/\1/g
s/__attribute_const__([[:space:]]|$)/\1/g
- s@^#include <linux/compiler(|_types).h>@@
+ s@^#include <linux/compiler.h>@@
s/(^|[^a-zA-Z0-9])__packed([^a-zA-Z0-9_]|$)/\1__attribute__((packed))\2/g
s/(^|[[:space:](])(inline|asm|volatile)([[:space:](]|$)/\1__\2__\3/g
s@#(ifndef|define|endif[[:space:]]*/[*])[[:space:]]*_UAPI@#\1 @
diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/stddef.h b/include/uapi/linux/stddef.h
index b87df1b485c2..9a28f7d9a334 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/stddef.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/stddef.h
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
#ifndef _UAPI_LINUX_STDDEF_H
#define _UAPI_LINUX_STDDEF_H

+#ifdef __KERNEL__
#include <linux/compiler_types.h>
+#endif

#ifndef __always_inline
#define __always_inline inline
--
2.51.0