Linux Kernel Moving Ahead With Going From C89 To C11 Code

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Kernel Moving Ahead With Going From C89 To C11 Code

It looks like for the Linux 5.18 kernel cycle coming up it could begin allowing modern C11 code to be accepted rather than the current Linux kernel codebase being limited to the C89 standard...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-Kernel-C89-To-C11

[kylew77]

Yay for // style comments instead of the /* */ ones that I always forget which side the * goes on! Without a color coding text editor I was always like how do I block comment in this C/C++ program!

[ms178]

As I regularly compile my Kernel with -std=gnu18 (GCC) or -std=gnu2x (Clang), everyone can try it out already if they are using a recent enough version. Of course I hope that using some of the new language features bring user-visible improvements, too.

[down1]

Of course I hope that using some of the new language features bring user-visible improvements, too.

Given the low-level nature of C, is that likely?

[EvilHowl]

I really like those new additions to the kernel. The -Werror addition was great, too.

[lucrus]

In 67 years from now we will likely hit the famous Year 89 bug...

[piotrj3]

Does it mean we will be able to use VLA arrays in Linux too?

[Steffo]

Yay for // style comments instead of the /* */ ones that I always forget which side the * goes on! Without a color coding text editor I was always like how do I block comment in this C/C++ program!

Well, the first character begins like //

[darkonix]

Does it mean we will be able to use VLA arrays in Linux too?

VLA arrays seem to have been removed from the kernel some years ago because of security and portability concerns: https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pa...-Kills-The-VLA

[Steffo]

Does it mean we will be able to use VLA arrays in Linux too?

I don't think so. How do you handle the error, when the memory is not sufficient? You can easily get a stack overflow.