reproduce (this is a W=1 build): # https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=a498ee7576de24b4b0916ce56cf2686e261a29f7 git remote add linus https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git git fetch --no-tags linus master git checkout a498ee7576de24b4b0916ce56cf2686e261a29f7 # apt-get install sparse # sparse version: v0.6.4-73-gfbdde312 # save the config file mkdir build_dir && cp config build_dir/.config make W=1 C=1 CF='-fdiagnostic-prefix -D__CHECK_ENDIAN__ -fmax-errors=unlimited -fmax-warnings=unlimited' O=build_dir ARCH=i386 olddefconfig make W=1 C=1 CF='-fdiagnostic-prefix -D__CHECK_ENDIAN__ -fmax-errors=unlimited -fmax-warnings=unlimited' O=build_dir ARCH=i386 SHELL=/bin/bash kernel/trace/