Re: [PATCH v2] tracing: Make is_signed_type() compatible with sparse

[Linus Torvalds]

On Wed, 2 Sept 2026 at 09:53, Steven Rostedt <rostedt@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> If anything, using __bitwise in the field makes things much worse, as you
> are finding out now.

Stop it. __bitwise makes absolutely nothing worse. It's the right
type. If you are recording a value with any type at all, the type
should either match the original, or the original type shouldn't
matter AT ALL.

The whole __field() macro very much ON PURPOSE takes a type. Christ -
it's literally the *point* of that macro. You want to assign a value
that comes from that type from the kernel - so it needs to match the
type you are tracing. Including __bitwise. Exactly like it needs to
match in sign and in size.

Are you suggesting throwing away the size of the type too? Or the sign?

If you are not suggesting that, then stop the idiocy of suiggesting
throwing out __bitwise. Because dammit, that is part of the type,
exactly like the size is, and exactly like the signedness.

And NONE of the issues have anything to do with the kernel.

I already NAK'ed the whole idiotic _Generic() macro garbage.

WE DO NOT MAKE THE KERNEL WORSE BECAUSE OF TOOLING BUGS, WHEN THE
TOOLING CAN BE FIXED.

Why are you people not getting it?

                   Linus