linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2 2/2] add check for pointers with _

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Message-ID: <aPvAm1E7CvQfOIuS@stanley.mountain>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2025 21:08:27 +0300
From: Dan Carpenter <dan.carpenter@...aro.org>
To: Ally Heev <allyheev@...il.com>
Cc: Dwaipayan Ray <dwaipayanray1@...il.com>,
	Lukas Bulwahn <lukas.bulwahn@...il.com>,
	Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>, Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>,
	Andy Whitcroft <apw@...onical.com>, workflows@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-doc@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	David Hunter <david.hunter.linux@...il.com>,
	Shuah Khan <skhan@...uxfoundation.org>,
	Viresh Kumar <vireshk@...nel.org>, Nishanth Menon <nm@...com>,
	Stephen Boyd <sboyd@...nel.org>,
	linux-pm <linux-pm@...r.kernel.org>, dan.j.williams@...el.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 2/2] add check for pointers with __free attribute
 initialized to NULL

On Fri, Oct 24, 2025 at 10:59:16PM +0530, Ally Heev wrote:
> pointers with __free attribute initialized to NULL
> pose potential cleanup issues [1] when a function uses
> interdependent variables with cleanup attributes
> 
> Link: https://docs.kernel.org/core-api/cleanup.html [1]
> Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/68f7b830ec21a_10e910070@dwillia2-mobl4.notmuch/
> Suggested-by: Dan Williams <dan.j.williams@...el.com>
> Signed-off-by: Ally Heev <allyheev@...il.com>
> ---

I don't think this patch is a good idea...  There are two issues to
consider 1) The absolute number over warnings.  500+ is too high.
2) The ratio of bugs to false positives and we don't have any data on
that but I bet it's low.  It needs to be at least 5%.  For anything
lower than that, you're better off just reviewing code at random
instead of looking through warnings.

regards,
dan carpenter