linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] KEYS: encrypted: Use designated initializers for match_table

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite for Android: free password hash cracker in your pocket

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-Id: <93D80E9A-7CBC-40D1-BC21-7BC2BB465AC4@linux.dev>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2025 15:30:00 +0200
From: Thorsten Blum <thorsten.blum@...ux.dev>
To: James Bottomley <James.Bottomley@...senPartnership.com>
Cc: Mimi Zohar <zohar@...ux.ibm.com>,
 David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>,
 Jarkko Sakkinen <jarkko@...nel.org>,
 Paul Moore <paul@...l-moore.com>,
 James Morris <jmorris@...ei.org>,
 "Serge E. Hallyn" <serge@...lyn.com>,
 linux-integrity@...r.kernel.org,
 keyrings@...r.kernel.org,
 linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org,
 linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] KEYS: encrypted: Use designated initializers for
 match_table_t structs

On 9. Oct 2025, at 14:44, James Bottomley wrote:
> On Thu, 2025-10-09 at 13:58 +0200, Thorsten Blum wrote:
>> Use designated initializers for 'key_format_tokens' and 'key_tokens'
>> to allow struct fields to be reordered more easily
> 
> How does it improve that?  The key,value pairs are surrounded by braces
> so we just cut and paste the lot anyway.

Using designated initializers (especially for global structs) allows the
fields of struct match_token from linux/parser.h to be reordered or
extended more easily, improving overall maintainability.

>> and to improve readability.
> 
> I don't think I agree with this when looking through the code,
> especially because this is the way it's done for *every* option in the
> entire key subsystem.  So firstly I really don't think it's helpful for
> only encrypted keys to be different from everything else and secondly
> when I read the code (as I often do to figure out what the options
> mean), the additional .token and .pattern just get in the way of what
> I'm looking for.

I just stumbled upon this and didn't check any other files.

I do think it helps with readability, especially for people unfamiliar
with the code. With designated initializers, it's clear what each value
represents without having to look up the definition of 'match_token' in
linux/parser.h.

Thanks,
Thorsten