[PATCH v2] checkpatch: warn about multi-line comments without an empty /* line

From: Petr Tesarik
Date: Tue Sep 26 2023 - 15:24:14 EST


According to Documentation/process/coding-style.rst, the preferred style
for multi-line comments outside net/ and drivers/net/ is:

.. code-block:: c

/*
* This is the preferred style for multi-line
* comments in the Linux kernel source code.
* Please use it consistently.
*
* Description: A column of asterisks on the left side,
* with beginning and ending almost-blank lines.
*/

Signed-off-by: Petr Tesarik <petr@xxxxxxxxxxx>
---
scripts/checkpatch.pl | 8 ++++++++
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)

diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 7d16f863edf1..e48e7b4d08c0 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -4006,6 +4006,14 @@ sub process {
"networking block comments don't use an empty /* line, use /* Comment...\n" . $hereprev);
}

+# Non-networking without an initial /*
+ if ($realfile !~ m@^(drivers/net/|net/)@ &&
+ $prevrawline =~ /^\+[ \t]*\/\*.*[^ \t]$/ &&
+ $rawline =~ /^\+[ \t]*\*/) {
+ WARN("BLOCK_COMMENT_STYLE",
+ "multi-line block comments should start with an empty /* line\n" . $hereprev);
+ }
+
# Block comments use * on subsequent lines
if ($prevline =~ /$;[ \t]*$/ && #ends in comment
$prevrawline =~ /^\+.*?\/\*/ && #starting /*
--
2.42.0