KernelTrap: Using goto In Kernel Code

“There was a recent discussion on the lkml about the frequent
use of ‘goto’ in Linux kernel code. Drawing perhaps on Edsger
Dikjstra’s 1968 paper titled ‘Go To Statement Considered Harmful,’
the argument proposed that using goto will only produce ‘spaghetti
code.’ A more recent proponent of this theory being Niklaus Wirth
who developed Pascal circa 1970 and its successor, Modula-2, in
1979.

“In the recent thread on the lkml it is made quite clear that
the use of goto in Linux kernel code is well thought out and
justified. One such explanation can be found within chapter 2 of
O’Reilly’s excellent book, Linux Device Drivers. It is further
explained in the following thread by a number of kernel developers
including Robert Love, Rik van Riel, and Linux creator Linus
Torvalds…”

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