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 2035B341055 for ; Sat, 10 Jan 2026 12:07:03 +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=1768046824; cv=none; b=lSoyeq5aS9S9Utzc6Wg5tcbtphMinVZKkZYVnvqttyqK2HrEmsxF9TRTsACBAk6rU4oFdYC4ay995MhS1J3m0xGxzGDoe2RkGznTs0SsA87v9Wfkq+DYi1izFuuOrnWSWrdNAe1NQ+2FDm+T5v0JPxrAx+DBqYonLIj42FDjDTo= ARC-Message-Signature:i=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc-20240116; t=1768046824; c=relaxed/simple; bh=bdy5owdVEKL+nzGSKqscQ2/U0ZOsn52iLH+Fj6DANQs=; h=Date:From:To:Cc:Subject:Message-ID:References:MIME-Version: Content-Type:Content-Disposition:In-Reply-To; b=B+o9ApLYZFY/6VaV3FTd2kbYjD35OteGrdIMJg3aUupxQCEnwOYe/Bw7zBZb6V6j7/bXKuJJddi8eeTiybts++0wvs7uUVLIraz/TbuRGyDG51t80b19ET03/ITU15IlZKQIXNBBc4y5qc71WKZRH5QZk/fqSMw6aLPy0zPWmm4= ARC-Authentication-Results:i=1; smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=kernel.org header.i=@kernel.org header.b=n8K13lZA; 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="n8K13lZA" Received: by smtp.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id D6168C4CEF1; Sat, 10 Jan 2026 12:07:02 +0000 (UTC) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/simple; d=kernel.org; s=k20201202; t=1768046823; bh=bdy5owdVEKL+nzGSKqscQ2/U0ZOsn52iLH+Fj6DANQs=; h=Date:From:To:Cc:Subject:References:In-Reply-To:From; b=n8K13lZAhMSD8MNTjOQkTx8kvBIb0nb1yp3uQzN5DlzBRDSedTzq/5qWxeQ+xrgsd NZ9d39+frclvwuD0WbAT1x+4oEb549qi2Pq9f2mQ843A0tqLWczRyneT7ZDli0G9lj 1wcVt2WgRVK13rDxgCUdvuLbzfjMg4NAPlO60gQEzKRapdx4mHXsWAHcv0BP2szSPA krGxm4jFecRxjCu/LVJJkZcX4TXInNperRQrcEqzcqjefHlJowIFVxInh4ApwY+1Hz Fc8TOwB4+IcsvQc7joeZIHUghOwXUtNt+WktvfwDe3I0sEo/yA2tHc2pcxGohVsH9l oeSyphe1ii4bw== Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2026 13:07:00 +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="hek3wtas265dr3mw" Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20260110115228.bwtdqrpe5x3b2rrn@illithid> --hek3wtas265dr3mw 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: <20260110115228.bwtdqrpe5x3b2rrn@illithid> Hi Branden, 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 seems > > 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=98ge= neric=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. Thanks! I've now checked the rationale for C89, and it says that Several new types have been added: And mentions 'void', 'void*', and 'signed char'. It seems it was an invention of C89. Hve a lovely day! Alex >=20 > https://plumhall.com/newsite/phall.html >=20 > Looks like he passed away last year. :( >=20 > Regards, > Branden --=20 --hek3wtas265dr3mw Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc" -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQIzBAABCgAdFiEES7Jt9u9GbmlWADAi64mZXMKQwqkFAmliQN4ACgkQ64mZXMKQ wqkwrg/+L3TkaLsauhEqCkWEyQ0NVVUPrqRXfltgm2oKOzfd0/HXM2qKPfkCEuPt JIXuPDzlv0RCOw8dNC7VObrvuhq9TFl8yTzkYVpuijxmkE0U0HsIu1VPvZKpalPM wE5U/cIYEp5J6R94mEZ8cu86P/Lhqqg9ZW2bkYrOj4P0Zvha+fQ2/KdSlR11dO1v rVPcdkMHHI3oRR87SZ08Dbl0MMM7vyc8q1mvUKA4yX9rU/TRFddcQ+/okhQW3Wl9 P6gRG1uM2B65BPf+fqa6Fe/B5WRCZTCr1jEQRoKWoO4phdAU1SW2QWwmpS6U+lLo Vz6w3boGA+XKMC0q5jLhUQiW7JXWnMRLPkJE7d17+bGQWuLdEEovyPT7sSpnPWnU Liz0SJKf33E5CGbVLI8XSd5claQg/oznRUg2UPj9JXjQbXEj+h++EYPtv1AEeB6R hcRx+q/RpMOH0T8chiKNQ//AaLVPmyc4tPhrtGSkzo1wydXt+KbHPXYPY2K4Scpb vA6FTVYiRDI4VRuZXR74v73L31nx6i4ZvHWliEsR/TPPDCBUBMqlnZFAqWk11y0t ojdPXKe5pYQ/N3EQBYvtAdY75CtQF1bHmgubbYxietuT8CrnwEMi6lM4LJCSVYbA NFeHSmg5/Qv94x1yD7vKLk+UlAkK0Zi58q4jFGabt6h6qcwXK5I= =arnH -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --hek3wtas265dr3mw--