linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] virtio: uapi: avoid usage of libc types

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: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

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

Message-ID: <20251222111044-611cdccb-327c-4ed8-a75b-1a65aa353802@linutronix.de>
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:22:16 +0100
From: Thomas Weißschuh <thomas.weissschuh@...utronix.de>
To: "Michael S. Tsirkin" <mst@...hat.com>
Cc: Jason Wang <jasowang@...hat.com>, 
	Xuan Zhuo <xuanzhuo@...ux.alibaba.com>, Eugenio Pérez <eperezma@...hat.com>, 
	virtualization@...ts.linux.dev, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] virtio: uapi: avoid usage of libc types

On Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 03:39:12AM -0500, Michael S. Tsirkin wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 09:00:33AM +0100, Thomas Weißschuh wrote:
> > Using libc types and headers from the UAPI headers is problematic as it
> > introduces a dependency on a full C toolchain.
> > 
> > On Linux 'unsigned long' works as a replacement for 'uintptr_t' and does
> > not depend on libc.
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Thomas Weißschuh <thomas.weissschuh@...utronix.de>
> 
> 
> are you fixing other uses of uintptr_t ?

I am focussing on UAPI headers which include libc headers.
virtio_ring.h seems to be the only such header which uses uintptr_t.
There are a few other UAPI headers which reference uintptr_t, but only
in comments or macros.

uintptr_t in regular kernel code is out of scope for me.
While it is iffy, it doesn't actually hurt.


Thomas