Re: [PATCH 3v] char: hw_random: core.c: Changed from using strncat to strlcat

From: Rickard Strandqvist
Date: Thu Oct 16 2014 - 14:12:13 EST


2014-10-16 20:05 GMT+02:00 Jason Cooper <jason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> On Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 10:55:57AM -0700, Joe Perches wrote:
>> On Thu, 2014-10-16 at 13:48 -0400, Jason Cooper wrote:
>> > On Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 10:25:03AM -0700, Joe Perches wrote:
>> > > On Thu, 2014-10-16 at 19:15 +0200, Rickard Strandqvist wrote:
>> > > > The buf is used to hold the list of hwrng devices registered.
>> > > > The old code ensures we don't walk off the end of buf as we
>> > > > fill it, but it's unnecessarily complicated and thus difficult
>> > > > to maintain. Simplify it by using strlcat.
>> > > > We also ensure the string within buf is NULL terminated
>> > > > so the final strlen is ok.
>> > > []
>> > > > diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/core.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/core.c
>> > > []
>> > > > @@ -289,16 +288,13 @@ static ssize_t hwrng_attr_available_show(struct device *dev,
>> > > > return -ERESTARTSYS;
>> > > > buf[0] = '\0';
>> > > > list_for_each_entry(rng, &rng_list, list) {
>> > > > - strncat(buf, rng->name, PAGE_SIZE - ret - 1);
>> > > > - ret += strlen(rng->name);
>> > > > - strncat(buf, " ", PAGE_SIZE - ret - 1);
>> > > > - ret++;
>> > > > + strlcat(buf, rng->name, PAGE_SIZE);
>> > > > + strlcat(buf, " ", PAGE_SIZE);
>> > > > }
>> > > > - strncat(buf, "\n", PAGE_SIZE - ret - 1);
>> > > > - ret++;
>> > > > + strlcat(buf, "\n", PAGE_SIZE);
>> > > > mutex_unlock(&rng_mutex);
>> > > >
>> > > > - return ret;
>> > > > + return strlen(buf);
>> > > > }
>> > > >
>> > > > static DEVICE_ATTR(rng_current, S_IRUGO | S_IWUSR,
>> > >
>> > > Rickard, can you please use some optimizations here
>> > > (and elsewhere) so that strlcat doesn't always have
>> > > to strlen the first string and the return doesn't
>> > > have to do the strlen too?
>> >
>> > Joe, is further optimization worth the effort? This function is only
>> > called when the end user reads the sysfs file rng_available...
>>
>> It's unlikely that it matters much here.
>>
>> I just don't like the repeated and unnecessary strlen.
>>
>> I do imagine this pattern being repeated though where
>> it does matter.
>
> Agreed. Back to why I like to see descriptions from the author
> demonstrating they grok the code they are changing :)
>


Hi

I will submit a new patch without return strlen.


All these features are more or less stupid really.
You can also read what Linus thinks about this here.

https://plus.google.com/111049168280159033135/posts/1amLbuhWbh5


I keep on trying to get a patch that solves one of these stupid
functions, but the strncpy in that case.


Kind regards
Rickard Strandqvist
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