[PATCH] tools build: Use -fzero-init-padding-bits=all

From: Leo Yan
Date: Fri Mar 28 2025 - 10:04:03 EST


GCC-15 release claims [1]:

{0} initializer in C or C++ for unions no longer guarantees clearing
of the whole union (except for static storage duration initialization),
it just initializes the first union member to zero. If initialization
of the whole union including padding bits is desirable, use {} (valid
in C23 or C++) or use -fzero-init-padding-bits=unions option to
restore old GCC behavior.

As a result, this new behaviour might cause unexpected data when we
initialize a union with using the '{ 0 }' initializer.

Since commit dce4aab8441d ("kbuild: Use -fzero-init-padding-bits=all"),
the kernel has enabled -fzero-init-padding-bits=all to zero padding bits
in unions and structures. This commit applies the same option for tools
building.

The option is not supported neither by any version older than GCC 15 and
is also not supported by LLVM, this patch adds the cc-option function to
dynamically detect the compiler option.

[1] https://gcc.gnu.org/gcc-15/changes.html

Signed-off-by: Leo Yan <leo.yan@xxxxxxx>
---

This patch was originally from [1]. After consideration, the top level
of the tools directory is a better place to accommodate this option
rather than perf folder.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-perf-users/20250320105235.3498106-1-leo.yan@xxxxxxx/

tools/scripts/Makefile.include | 13 +++++++++++++
1 file changed, 13 insertions(+)

diff --git a/tools/scripts/Makefile.include b/tools/scripts/Makefile.include
index 0aa4005017c7..e912a10afd89 100644
--- a/tools/scripts/Makefile.include
+++ b/tools/scripts/Makefile.include
@@ -40,6 +40,19 @@ EXTRA_WARNINGS += -Wwrite-strings
EXTRA_WARNINGS += -Wformat
EXTRA_WARNINGS += -Wno-type-limits

+try-run = $(shell set -e; \
+ if ($(1)) >/dev/null 2>&1; \
+ then echo "$(2)"; \
+ else echo "$(3)"; \
+ fi)
+
+__cc-option = $(call try-run,\
+ $(1) -Werror $(2) -c -x c /dev/null -o /dev/null,$(2),)
+cc-option = $(call __cc-option, $(CC),$(1))
+
+# Explicitly clear padding bits with the initializer '{ 0 }'
+CFLAGS += $(call cc-option,-fzero-init-padding-bits=all)
+
# Makefiles suck: This macro sets a default value of $(2) for the
# variable named by $(1), unless the variable has been set by
# environment or command line. This is necessary for CC and AR
--
2.34.1