Actually, it's done the way it's done exactly to _not_ let the compiler
catch on.
In most architectures there's a load-use penalty, so doing the load and
immediately testing for zero is bad - while doing the load and updating
the address can essentially be done in parallel.
Linus
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.altern.org/andrebalsa/doc/lkml-faq.html