Chapter 12. Kernel Cantrips

Some favorites from browsing the source. Feel free to add to this list.

arch/x86/include/asm/delay.h:

#define ndelay(n) (__builtin_constant_p(n) ? \
        ((n) > 20000 ? __bad_ndelay() : __const_udelay((n) * 5ul)) : \
        __ndelay(n))
  

include/linux/fs.h:

/*
 * Kernel pointers have redundant information, so we can use a
 * scheme where we can return either an error code or a dentry
 * pointer with the same return value.
 *
 * This should be a per-architecture thing, to allow different
 * error and pointer decisions.
 */
 #define ERR_PTR(err)    ((void *)((long)(err)))
 #define PTR_ERR(ptr)    ((long)(ptr))
 #define IS_ERR(ptr)     ((unsigned long)(ptr) > (unsigned long)(-1000))

arch/x86/include/asm/uaccess_32.h:

#define copy_to_user(to,from,n)                         \
        (__builtin_constant_p(n) ?                      \
         __constant_copy_to_user((to),(from),(n)) :     \
         __generic_copy_to_user((to),(from),(n)))
  

arch/sparc/kernel/head.S:

/*
 * Sun people can't spell worth damn. "compatability" indeed.
 * At least we *know* we can't spell, and use a spell-checker.
 */

/* Uh, actually Linus it is I who cannot spell. Too much murky
 * Sparc assembly will do this to ya.
 */
C_LABEL(cputypvar):
        .asciz "compatibility"

/* Tested on SS-5, SS-10. Probably someone at Sun applied a spell-checker. */
        .align 4
C_LABEL(cputypvar_sun4m):
        .asciz "compatible"
  

arch/sparc/lib/checksum.S:

        /* Sun, you just can't beat me, you just can't.  Stop trying,
         * give up.  I'm serious, I am going to kick the living shit
         * out of you, game over, lights out.
         */