Re: Usage of strncpy in the kernel

[Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>]

> I stumbled across a few usages of strncpy in the kernel [...]

>> strlcpy(name, "... preferred name ...", sizeof(sc->sc_sensor.desc));
[...]
>> strlcpy(sc->sc_sensor.desc, name, sizeof(sc->sc_sensor.desc));

Um, strlcpy != strncpy.  Are you counting strlcpy as a variant of
strncpy for purposes of this suggestion?

> These code snippets made me wonder whether strncpy should be banned
> from kernel code, in order to force developers to think about
> properly handling character arrays and strings.

But what would you use, then, to copy a string?  I have trouble
imagining that strcpy would be any better.  bcopy/memcpy?  I suspect
you'd find that the problem is not the routine used; the problem is, as
you imply, lack of thought, but that switching routines will not
alleviate that - it'll just result in the problematic coders writing
what they think is a correct copy using whatever you pick instead while
still getting it wrong one way or another.

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