[PATCH] x86: replace char builtin_cmdline[COMMAND_LINE_SIZE] with struct seq_buf

From: Michal Gorlas

Date: Sun Mar 22 2026 - 13:44:11 EST


In preparation for removing the strlcat API[1], replace the char
builtin_cmdline[COMMAND_LINE_SIZE] with a struct seq_buf.

Removes strlcat() usage when combining CONFIG_CMDLINE with the boot
loader command line.
Use seq_buf_init() to initialize the buffer and seq_buf_puts() to
append the strings instead.

cmdline_find_option() and cmdline_find_option_bool() logic remain
unchanged, and continue to operate on the underlying .buffer member.

Link: https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/370 [1]

Signed-off-by: Michal Gorlas <michal.gorlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
arch/x86/include/asm/cmdline.h | 3 ++-
arch/x86/kernel/setup.c | 16 ++++++++++------
arch/x86/lib/cmdline.c | 10 +++++++---
3 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/cmdline.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/cmdline.h
index 6cbd9ae58b21..f3ccfc2d4851 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/cmdline.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/cmdline.h
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
#ifndef _ASM_X86_CMDLINE_H
#define _ASM_X86_CMDLINE_H

+#include <linux/seq_buf.h>
#include <asm/setup.h>

-extern char builtin_cmdline[COMMAND_LINE_SIZE];
+extern struct seq_buf builtin_cmdline;

int cmdline_find_option_bool(const char *cmdline_ptr, const char *option);
int cmdline_find_option(const char *cmdline_ptr, const char *option,
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/setup.c b/arch/x86/kernel/setup.c
index 1b2edd07a3e1..17a1ffc8c3fd 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/setup.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/setup.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
#include <linux/pci.h>
#include <linux/random.h>
#include <linux/root_dev.h>
+#include <linux/seq_buf.h>
#include <linux/static_call.h>
#include <linux/swiotlb.h>
#include <linux/tboot.h>
@@ -228,7 +229,8 @@ unsigned long saved_video_mode;

static char __initdata command_line[COMMAND_LINE_SIZE];
#ifdef CONFIG_CMDLINE_BOOL
-char builtin_cmdline[COMMAND_LINE_SIZE] = CONFIG_CMDLINE;
+char cmdline_buf[COMMAND_LINE_SIZE];
+struct seq_buf builtin_cmdline;
bool builtin_cmdline_added __ro_after_init;
#endif

@@ -907,14 +909,16 @@ void __init setup_arch(char **cmdline_p)
#endif

#ifdef CONFIG_CMDLINE_BOOL
+ seq_buf_init(&builtin_cmdline, cmdline_buf, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE);
+ seq_buf_puts(&builtin_cmdline, CONFIG_CMDLINE);
#ifdef CONFIG_CMDLINE_OVERRIDE
- strscpy(boot_command_line, builtin_cmdline, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE);
+ strscpy(boot_command_line, builtin_cmdline.buffer, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE);
#else
- if (builtin_cmdline[0]) {
+ if (builtin_cmdline.buffer[0]) {
/* append boot loader cmdline to builtin */
- strlcat(builtin_cmdline, " ", COMMAND_LINE_SIZE);
- strlcat(builtin_cmdline, boot_command_line, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE);
- strscpy(boot_command_line, builtin_cmdline, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE);
+ seq_buf_puts(&builtin_cmdline, " ");
+ seq_buf_puts(&builtin_cmdline, boot_command_line);
+ strscpy(boot_command_line, builtin_cmdline.buffer, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE);
}
#endif
builtin_cmdline_added = true;
diff --git a/arch/x86/lib/cmdline.c b/arch/x86/lib/cmdline.c
index c65cd5550454..620c14676152 100644
--- a/arch/x86/lib/cmdline.c
+++ b/arch/x86/lib/cmdline.c
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ int cmdline_find_option_bool(const char *cmdline, const char *option)
return ret;

if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_CMDLINE_BOOL) && !builtin_cmdline_added)
- return __cmdline_find_option_bool(builtin_cmdline, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE, option);
+ return __cmdline_find_option_bool(builtin_cmdline.buffer,
+ COMMAND_LINE_SIZE, option);

return ret;
}
@@ -224,12 +225,15 @@ int cmdline_find_option(const char *cmdline, const char *option, char *buffer,
{
int ret;

- ret = __cmdline_find_option(cmdline, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE, option, buffer, bufsize);
+ ret = __cmdline_find_option(cmdline, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE, option, buffer,
+ bufsize);
if (ret > 0)
return ret;

if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_CMDLINE_BOOL) && !builtin_cmdline_added)
- return __cmdline_find_option(builtin_cmdline, COMMAND_LINE_SIZE, option, buffer, bufsize);
+ return __cmdline_find_option(builtin_cmdline.buffer,
+ COMMAND_LINE_SIZE, option, buffer,
+ bufsize);

return ret;
}

---
base-commit: 0f61b1860cc3f52aef9036d7235ed1f017632193
change-id: 20260322-x86-remove-strlcat-5762cc8581fb

Best regards,
--
Michal Gorlas <michal.gorlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>