The current codebase makes use of the zero-length array language extension to the C90 standard, but the preferred mechanism to declare variable-length types such as these ones is a flexible array member[1][2], introduced in C99: struct foo { int stuff; struct boo array[]; }; By making use of the mechanism above, we will get a compiler warning in case the flexible array does not occur last in the structure, which will help us prevent some kind of undefined behavior bugs from being inadvertently introduced[3] to the codebase from now on. Also, notice that, dynamic memory allocations won't be affected by this change: "Flexible array members have incomplete type, and so the sizeof operator may not be applied. As a quirk of the original implementation of zero-length arrays, sizeof evaluates to zero."[1] sizeof(flexible-array-member) triggers a warning because flexible array members have incomplete type[1]. There are some instances of code in which the sizeof operator is being incorrectly/erroneously applied to zero-length arrays and the result is zero. Such instances may be hiding some bugs. So, this work (flexible-array member conversions) will also help to get completely rid of those sorts of issues. This issue was found with the help of Coccinelle. [1] https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc/Zero-Length.html [2] https://github.com/KSPP/linux/issues/21 [3] commit 76497732932f ("cxgb3/l2t: Fix undefined behaviour") Signed-off-by: Gustavo A. R. Silva <gustavoars@xxxxxxxxxx> --- fs/jffs2/nodelist.h | 2 +- fs/jffs2/summary.h | 4 ++-- 2 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/fs/jffs2/nodelist.h b/fs/jffs2/nodelist.h index 0637271f3770..8ff4d1a1e774 100644 --- a/fs/jffs2/nodelist.h +++ b/fs/jffs2/nodelist.h @@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ struct jffs2_full_dirent uint32_t ino; /* == zero for unlink */ unsigned int nhash; unsigned char type; - unsigned char name[0]; + unsigned char name[]; }; /* diff --git a/fs/jffs2/summary.h b/fs/jffs2/summary.h index 60207a2ae952..e4131cb1f1d4 100644 --- a/fs/jffs2/summary.h +++ b/fs/jffs2/summary.h @@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ struct jffs2_sum_dirent_flash jint32_t ino; /* == zero for unlink */ uint8_t nsize; /* dirent name size */ uint8_t type; /* dirent type */ - uint8_t name[0]; /* dirent name */ + uint8_t name[]; /* dirent name */ } __attribute__((packed)); struct jffs2_sum_xattr_flash @@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ struct jffs2_sum_dirent_mem jint32_t ino; /* == zero for unlink */ uint8_t nsize; /* dirent name size */ uint8_t type; /* dirent type */ - uint8_t name[0]; /* dirent name */ + uint8_t name[]; /* dirent name */ } __attribute__((packed)); struct jffs2_sum_xattr_mem ______________________________________________________ Linux MTD discussion mailing list http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-mtd/