Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH] Permit zero-sized qemu_malloc() & friends

[Avi Kivity <avi@redhat.com>]

On 12/06/2009 01:08 AM, Ian Molton wrote:
> Avi Kivity wrote:
>
>    
>> Only if you allocate using POSIX malloc().  If you allocate using a
>> function that is defined to return a valid pointer for zero length
>> allocations, you're happy.
>>      
> Wouldnt it be better to, rather than use a qemu_malloc() that is utterly
> counterintuitive in that it has no way to report failure, and behaves in
> ways people dont expect, to use normal malloc() and never pass it 0 ?
>    

It's not that it doesn't have a way to report failure, it's that it 
doesn't fail.  Do you prefer functions that fail and report it to 
functions that don't fail?

> Seriously, who does that anyway? why call malloc when you dont want the
> space? so you can use realloc? 99.99% of the time realloc() is the Wrong
> Solution(tm).
>    

Read the beginning of the thread.  Basically it's for arrays, malloc(n * 
sizeof(x)).

> stick to what people know, and LART them for misuse of it if necessary.
>    

The LART is a crash, great.

-- 
Do not meddle in the internals of kernels, for they are subtle and quick to panic.