# Re: \[PATCH 0/5\] \[RFC\] printk/ia64/ppc64/parisc64: let's deprecate %pF/%pf printk specifiers

- From: Helge Deller \<deller@gmx.de\>
- Date: 2017-09-19 20:08:02 
- List: linuxppc-dev
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/linuxppc-dev/2017/09/5091136
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/linuxppc-dev/2017/09/5089064/t.md

```text
On 19.09.2017 15:38, David Laight wrote:
> From: Sergey Senozhatsky
>> Sent: 19 September 2017 03:06
> ...
>> I'll simply convert everything to `unsigned long'. including the
>> dereference_function_descriptor() function [I believe there are
>> still some casts happening when we pass addr from kernel/module
>> dereference functions to dereference_function_descriptor(), or
>> when we return `void *' back to symbol resolution code, etc.)
>> besides, it seems that everything that uses
>> dereference_function_descriptor() wants `unsigned long' anyway:
>
> Using 'unsigned long' for any kind of pointer is an accident
> waiting do happen.
> It also makes it difficult to typecheck the function calls.
> Using 'void *' isn't any better.
> Either a pointer to an undefined struct, or a struct containing
> a single 'char' member, is likely to be safest.

David, you might be right in most cases, but in this case I'd prefer
unsigned long too. I think this will create the least amount of
typecasts here.

Helge
```