reproduce (this is a W=1 build): # https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=267ee93c417e685d9f8e079e41c70ba6ee4df5a5 git remote add linus https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git git fetch --no-tags linus master git checkout 267ee93c417e685d9f8e079e41c70ba6ee4df5a5 # apt-get install sparse # sparse: v0.6.5-rc1 # 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 drivers/tty/serial/