From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from smtp.kernel.org (aws-us-west-2-korg-mail-1.web.codeaurora.org [10.30.226.201]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by smtp.subspace.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 672B4341055 for ; Sat, 10 Jan 2026 12:07:25 +0000 (UTC) Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; arc=none smtp.client-ip=10.30.226.201 ARC-Seal:i=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc-20240116; t=1768046845; cv=none; b=Tu8kMsBmxiSB7d6qzuEbHJ7Vo8FsAuWStqvcVTNutk3C5C3mtLACpEwOblyX+pEcO7LvBEVsvHzeDw9VuxSeWgN16lDeP8NoSQd73OiSkMfhuA3y+bRnpsaGZhGHVSciDXVnH6yXeegW0IIFgOAd2QX4Y4b2TwRoILsCkaXLoqw= ARC-Message-Signature:i=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc-20240116; t=1768046845; c=relaxed/simple; bh=LAfqfU+TeB4wvkRjrgUlbcJUHTWpS1MTA0dqcN49ZDE=; h=Date:From:To:Cc:Subject:Message-ID:References:MIME-Version: Content-Type:Content-Disposition:In-Reply-To; b=fnX944fbdwvHp959Mh/wUtNsuSo/Dx32y70Rbf6s0By+WrnySzKfv2Im4J/Oy9GdWBQPUg9rgYhMccDVA2kXWPR4nw/wvZwpM5dT/yS4ojhb4crGw5Y84zB3Vii9+y+SlTUfnAEx7Cj3S/n3ZcSBtWaNZIRV4IIsauACvakgW4A= ARC-Authentication-Results:i=1; smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=kernel.org header.i=@kernel.org header.b=oPhu1HE4; arc=none smtp.client-ip=10.30.226.201 Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=kernel.org header.i=@kernel.org header.b="oPhu1HE4" Received: by smtp.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 2C87CC4CEF1; Sat, 10 Jan 2026 12:07:24 +0000 (UTC) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/simple; d=kernel.org; s=k20201202; t=1768046845; bh=LAfqfU+TeB4wvkRjrgUlbcJUHTWpS1MTA0dqcN49ZDE=; h=Date:From:To:Cc:Subject:References:In-Reply-To:From; b=oPhu1HE4/IVDmUmKNozNQ5GHqpgUSQh6Fr6C5NOUYZl/b8jr/lK7cw+xIMp2naYQY BXSYcU0G9ckA00LhpNmWwpGXQy7X3Qla64pPBjHZ1guyW0ZJeNUET+Jb5chDAeVmtC 3MbJGvFcROPnagl8hiopOPfBL/+hhLVWCU30D8eUVlXl8ztKEAUZ92jc3G3t9T57gB 2V4nZqzZUte7Ho2qCEF2TGSMqX3tZbLnsW74k+PNOgSgyxsWm2cWqLthNpqihkcijn 4BHRR036mY/VRAD3uUqlVkkEJiS9AVnf9t8NyF3Z64Gs3psV3RdjPROewCOyLgfeK8 r3HCiG6soBShw== Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2026 13:07:21 +0100 From: Alejandro Colomar To: "G. Branden Robinson" Cc: Seth McDonald , linux-man@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: origin of "void *" (was: [PATCH v1 19/25] man/man3type/void.3type: HISTORY: Update first POSIX appearance of void(3type) Message-ID: References: <20260110115228.bwtdqrpe5x3b2rrn@illithid> Precedence: bulk X-Mailing-List: linux-man@vger.kernel.org List-Id: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha512; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="kqutidtwax3uhdzv" Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: --kqutidtwax3uhdzv Content-Type: text/plain; protected-headers=v1; charset=utf-8 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable From: Alejandro Colomar To: "G. Branden Robinson" Cc: Seth McDonald , linux-man@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: origin of "void *" (was: [PATCH v1 19/25] man/man3type/void.3type: HISTORY: Update first POSIX appearance of void(3type) Message-ID: References: <20260110115228.bwtdqrpe5x3b2rrn@illithid> MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: On Sat, Jan 10, 2026 at 01:07:03PM +0100, Alejandro Colomar wrote: > Hi Branden, >=20 > On Sat, Jan 10, 2026 at 05:52:28AM -0600, G. Branden Robinson wrote: > > Hi Alex, > >=20 > > At 2026-01-10T12:30:13+0100, Alejandro Colomar wrote: > > [rearranged] > > > On Sat, Jan 10, 2026 at 07:57:49AM +0000, Seth McDonald wrote: > > > > I know that the void pointer type was not mentioned or used in > > > > POSIX.1-1988. Instead, the standard used the char pointer type for > > > > pointers to generic data. POSIX.1-1990 seems to implicitly require > > > > void pointers - at least for conformance to "POSIX.1, C Language > > > > Binding (C Standard Language-Dependent System Support)" - by > > > > including them in some function prototypes. > > >=20 > > > > On Friday, 9 January 2026 at 20:34, Alejandro Colomar > > > > wrote: > > > Hmmm, since POSIX.1-1988 was already written after some C89 draft, it > > > seems void* was incorporated to C89 in a late draft. > > [...] > > > Yup, K&R C 1st ed. is too old and I wouldn't expect it to have > > > void*. I have a physical copy of K&R C 2nd ed. (1988) and it does > > > have void*. > > [...] > > > Being a scan [of 1e], it could be authentic. I don't have a physical > > > copy of the first edition, so can't compare. > > [...] > > > If anyone else reading the list knows anything, it would be welcome. > > >=20 > > > Be careful of online copies of K&R C, though. I once found one of the > > > second edition, and it was fake (by comparing it to the actual copy). > > >=20 > > > Much better to get the physical copy. Although the first edition see= ms > > > difficult to find. > >=20 > > I have a physical copy of K&R 1e, but unfortunately it is in storage and > > not easy to access. However... > >=20 > > I have before me as I type this a copy of Tom Plum's _Notes on the Draft > > C Standard_, copyright 1987 (Plum Hall, ISBN 609-927-3770). Publishers > > treat years in copyright notices the way automakers treat them in > > vehicle models, so I'd guess this puts the date of publication anywhere > > from 4Q1986 to 3Q1987. > >=20 > > In Chapter 2, "Comparison with Earlier C", on p. 24, it says: > >=20 > > "A pointer to any object type may be converted to a =E2=80=98=E2=80=98= generic=E2=80=99=E2=80=99 > > pointer and back again without change. The syntax for generic > > pointer is void *." > >=20 > > Tom Plum was a noteworthy figure in C standardization circles; his name > > shows up in much literature on the subject. I'd regard him as an > > authority. >=20 > Thanks! >=20 > I've now checked the rationale for C89, and it says that >=20 > Several new types have been added: >=20 > And mentions 'void', 'void*', and 'signed char'. It seems it was an > invention of C89. Forgot to add link: >=20 >=20 > Hve a lovely day! > Alex >=20 > >=20 > > https://plumhall.com/newsite/phall.html > >=20 > > Looks like he passed away last year. :( > >=20 > > Regards, > > Branden >=20 >=20 >=20 > --=20 > --=20 --kqutidtwax3uhdzv Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc" -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQIzBAABCgAdFiEES7Jt9u9GbmlWADAi64mZXMKQwqkFAmliQPkACgkQ64mZXMKQ wqmvwA/+NwnThRIkxxJ6ltC+RTFkX1YKTyTu2cfecWhWAyuaufHJCkAO+23Wu8CE JQwza1i5J6cMrotci/7UxoDLGy94NVPqkm1efOSZqf3o8KzYlQxob+WYcqFtKWyP NAyPOAXmjieHV4/gedyAX8T0jC2HRLQES6Wv8PYjsmFAjbxGVuL2IOcToGOZ+XQJ hu2kImJCnPBaW4FskpB8nFbXClU0aNdG9L5i75ohdO9vd0zRh4S6UfBhGIt9reNq 53CbYSQ7n6PvHMuWbJ6MNjngIb7Y6bkTyBrdPRMxEhS5oVyiWPF9wn2yphRUIJAw h17/YE78SrrXVVxgH78ClcKzV7wKeXyIVTWBlDT69qIIq4VRbSZiIEC1773uxfOz Q8M34zN8CFVvJQWG0k4rVx5OG/3csaGdSvA5Tg5i1jbnGTP1CAoiCCNNXTstfGIo ROBO7TMAN9YdJ4dtinatVKOZzF5VR3ZRCLFGn24P67q4mNv1DtE0eMtUk1G10XkU 2oL3Ilibuox1KSsmqGKPjIXbU/TFUpReKyV+DjiAs3o7q/cKp8O5hzCAXju6eNCC I+LPd2VnXZUOOMeUkrYSeNBdKD78SfDF7BXnJMI9CPfhloSwL0CWK89oXXQa9/MQ stHLFRad4oXdIbc5Fa4yaz1TsJQvXgCvfq4uDnFM1D7MnS17q2Q= =m6vw -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --kqutidtwax3uhdzv--