Linux: Kernel Compilation Warnings

A recent string of patches posted to the lkml attempted to clean up compiler warnings, and lead to numerous discussions about the appropriate way to fix warnings. One thread discussed a warning caused by what the compiler inappropriately believed was an unitialized variable, to which Alan Cox replied, "hiding warnings like this can be a hazard as it will hide real warnings later on." He went on to suggest the warning was a good thing as it encourages developers to continue to review the code, "while the warning is present people will check it now and again."