Re: [PATCH] lib: zlib_inflate "r.base" uninitialized compile warnings

From: Kees Cook
Date: Sun Dec 25 2005 - 15:38:31 EST


On Sun, Dec 25, 2005 at 06:34:06PM +0000, Al Viro wrote:
> NAK. That sort of patches is only going to hide real problems in the
> code where such warnings are _not_ false positives.
>
> Let me put it that way: what bug are you fixing in that patch? Is
> there a codepath that would lead to use of r without initialization?
> If there is - show it; if there is not - why are you patching kernel
> and not gcc?

Well, good point. My only question would be: why are other
"uninitialized" variables masked in the same way in that code?

Also, perhaps the phrasing in SubmittingPatches should be changed.
Currently (for "trivial" patches) it says:

Warning fixes (cluttering with useless warnings is bad)

Is that warning considered "useful"? Should this hint, instead, read:

Warning fixes (make sure the warning is "real", if not, patch gcc)

:)

--
Kees Cook @outflux.net
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