linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] init/main.c: check for null pointer before calling initcall

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Message-ID: <b4eec401-a4ac-263e-97ec-21eb347b0afc@caviumnetworks.com>
Date:   Fri, 27 Oct 2017 11:26:14 -0700
From:   David Daney <ddaney@...iumnetworks.com>
To:     Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>
Cc:     Abderrahmane Benbachir <abderrahmane.benbachir@...ymtl.ca>,
        linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, mingo@...nel.org,
        akpm@...ux-foundation.org, keescook@...omium.org, jeyu@...hat.com,
        rostedt@...dmis.org, mhocko@...e.com, viresh.kumar@...aro.org,
        thomas.lendacky@....com
Subject: Re: [PATCH] init/main.c: check for null pointer before calling
 initcall

On 10/27/2017 11:22 AM, Thomas Gleixner wrote:
> On Fri, 27 Oct 2017, David Daney wrote:
> 
>> On 10/27/2017 09:47 AM, Abderrahmane Benbachir wrote:
>>> Simple check to prevent kernel panic when initcall does not exit
>>
>> Interesting, under what circumstances do you observe the panic?
>>
>> It would be best to include this information in the patch changelog.
> 
> device_initcall(NULL);
> 
> might do that, but then it rightfully crashes on boot.
> 

That was kind of my point.  The module loader case already checks for a 
non-NULL pointer, and any NULLs in the in-kernel initializer tables 
would indicate a bigger problem that should be fixed instead.

David Daney