linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 09/30] mtd: Don't cast kmalloc() return value in drivers/mtd/maps/pmcmsp-flash.c

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Date:	Sun, 26 Aug 2007 02:36:32 +0200
From:	"Jesper Juhl" <jesper.juhl@...il.com>
To:	"Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@...dspring.com>
Cc:	"Denys Vlasenko" <vda.linux@...glemail.com>,
	linux-mtd@...ts.infradead.org,
	"David Woodhouse" <dwmw2@...radead.org>,
	"Linux Kernel Mailing List" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 09/30] mtd: Don't cast kmalloc() return value in drivers/mtd/maps/pmcmsp-flash.c

On 26/08/07, Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@...dspring.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 26 Aug 2007, Jesper Juhl wrote:
>
> > On 26/08/07, Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@...dspring.com> wrote:
>
> > > i was thinking more along the lines of
> > >
> > > msp_parts[i] = kcalloc(pcnt, sizeof(struct mtd_partition), GFP_KERNEL);
> > >
> > > which was kind of the obvious implication, no?
> >
> > I guess
> >
> > > unless there's a reason kcalloc() wouldn't work here, this is
> > > pretty much what kcalloc() was designed for.
> > >
> > When Denys brought up the zeroing thing and mentioned kzalloc() I
> > did consider kcalloc() instead, but kzalloc() makes this allocation
> > nicely look like the preceding ones visually and I couldn't convince
> > myself that kcalloc() would give us any real benefit here.
> >
> > What exactely would using kcalloc() over kzalloc() here buy us?
>
> technically, nothing.  but if you're not going to use kcalloc() when
> you're explicitly allocating an array of identical objects (that you
> want zero-filled, as a bonus), then what's the point of ever having
> defined a kcalloc() routine in the first place?
>
I wonder a bit about that myself...

I have found some other issues in that function that I want to fix, so
I'll be respinning the patch as a patch series instead - and why not;
I'll just go with kcalloc() and see what the maintainers have to say,
it's not like I personally care much one way or the other.

-- 
Jesper Juhl <jesper.juhl@...il.com>
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