[ptxdist] [PATCH] kernel: fix modules.builtin.modinfo being executable

[ptxdist] [PATCH] kernel: fix modules.builtin.modinfo being executable

[Fabian Pfitzner]

Since kernel commit a26a6c93edfe ("kbuild: Strip trailing padding bytes from
modules.builtin.modinfo") [1], the resulting modules.builtin.modinfo file gets
copied by objcopy resulting in an executable file.

It seems, that objcopy detects this file as executable even though
the file is not executable at all.

Fix this problem by removing the execution bit afterwards.

I also send a patch upstream to the kernel [2].

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251105-kbuild-fix-builtin-modinfo-for-kmod-v1-1-b419d8ad4606@kernel.org
[2] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251209-modinfo-executable-v1-1-ed0c553a4390@pengutronix.de/#t

Signed-off-by: Fabian Pfitzner <f.pfitzner@pengutronix.de>
---
 rules/kernel.make | 1 +
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

diff --git a/rules/kernel.make b/rules/kernel.make
index 9cdc95a91b8b19bc1b5c19e9790bd9eb1c8c6d7c..e974304043f634add332dce10c7c2553f56b30a4 100644
--- a/rules/kernel.make
+++ b/rules/kernel.make
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ $(STATEDIR)/kernel.install:
 	@$(call targetinfo)
 ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
 	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
+	@chmod -x $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo
 endif
 	@$(call world/dtb, KERNEL)
 	@$(call world/dtbo, KERNEL)

---
base-commit: fd0dc47b258aac09ab961199a3c00ecddf98f244
change-id: 20251210-modinfo-executable-c6985ef6da30

Best regards,
-- 
Fabian Pfitzner <f.pfitzner@pengutronix.de>

Re: [ptxdist] [APPLIED] kernel: fix modules.builtin.modinfo being executable

[Michael Olbrich]

Thanks, applied as 844408110d046a967ec1d588dd038d95a6065514.

Michael

[sent from post-receive hook]

On Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:52:10 +0100, Fabian Pfitzner <f.pfitzner@pengutronix.de> wrote:
> Since kernel commit a26a6c93edfe ("kbuild: Strip trailing padding bytes from
> modules.builtin.modinfo") [1], the resulting modules.builtin.modinfo file gets
> copied by objcopy resulting in an executable file.
> 
> It seems, that objcopy detects this file as executable even though
> the file is not executable at all.
> 
> Fix this problem by removing the execution bit afterwards.
> 
> I also send a patch upstream to the kernel [2].
> 
> [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251105-kbuild-fix-builtin-modinfo-for-kmod-v1-1-b419d8ad4606@kernel.org
> [2] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251209-modinfo-executable-v1-1-ed0c553a4390@pengutronix.de/#t
> 
> Signed-off-by: Fabian Pfitzner <f.pfitzner@pengutronix.de>
> Message-Id: <20251210-modinfo-executable-v1-1-23c6f3fc999e@pengutronix.de>
> Signed-off-by: Michael Olbrich <m.olbrich@pengutronix.de>
> 
> diff --git a/rules/kernel.make b/rules/kernel.make
> index 9cdc95a91b8b..e974304043f6 100644
> --- a/rules/kernel.make
> +++ b/rules/kernel.make
> @@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ $(STATEDIR)/kernel.install:
>  	@$(call targetinfo)
>  ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
>  	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
> +	@chmod -x $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo
>  endif
>  	@$(call world/dtb, KERNEL)
>  	@$(call world/dtbo, KERNEL)

Re: [ptxdist] [APPLIED] kernel: fix modules.builtin.modinfo being executable

[ruggero rossi via ptxdist]

Hello Everybody,

migrating to PTXDIST 2026.01.0, I found a problem compiling the kernel.
In my (quite old) kernel, there are no modules.builtin.modinfo files,
and ptxdist install fails.

It seems that the reason is this patch.

The following patch solved my problem:

--- /usr/local/lib/ptxdist-2026.01.0/rules/kernel.make	2025-12-12
09:44:06.000000000 +0100 +++ kernel.make	2026-01-12
16:14:44.223920509 +0100 @@ -285,7 +285,11 @@
 	@$(call targetinfo)
 ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
 	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
-	@chmod -x $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo
+	@for fileName in
$(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo; do \
+        if "$fileName" ; then \
+            chmod -x "$filename" ; \
+        fi ;\
+    done
 endif
 	@$(call world/dtb, KERNEL)
 	@$(call world/dtbo, KERNEL)

Best regards,

Ruggero Rossi


On Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:52:10 +0100
Michael Olbrich <m.olbrich@pengutronix.de> wrote:

> Thanks, applied as 844408110d046a967ec1d588dd038d95a6065514.
> 
> Michael
> 
> [sent from post-receive hook]
> 
> On Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:52:10 +0100, Fabian Pfitzner
> <f.pfitzner@pengutronix.de> wrote:
> > Since kernel commit a26a6c93edfe ("kbuild: Strip trailing padding
> > bytes from modules.builtin.modinfo") [1], the resulting
> > modules.builtin.modinfo file gets copied by objcopy resulting in an
> > executable file.
> > 
> > It seems, that objcopy detects this file as executable even though
> > the file is not executable at all.
> > 
> > Fix this problem by removing the execution bit afterwards.
> > 
> > I also send a patch upstream to the kernel [2].
> > 
> > [1]
> > https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251105-kbuild-fix-builtin-modinfo-for-kmod-v1-1-b419d8ad4606@kernel.org
> > [2]
> > https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251209-modinfo-executable-v1-1-ed0c553a4390@pengutronix.de/#t
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Fabian Pfitzner <f.pfitzner@pengutronix.de>
> > Message-Id:
> > <20251210-modinfo-executable-v1-1-23c6f3fc999e@pengutronix.de>
> > Signed-off-by: Michael Olbrich <m.olbrich@pengutronix.de>
> > 
> > diff --git a/rules/kernel.make b/rules/kernel.make
> > index 9cdc95a91b8b..e974304043f6 100644
> > --- a/rules/kernel.make
> > +++ b/rules/kernel.make
> > @@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ $(STATEDIR)/kernel.install:
> >  	@$(call targetinfo)
> >  ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
> >  	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
> > +	@chmod -x
> > $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo endif
> >  	@$(call world/dtb, KERNEL)
> >  	@$(call world/dtbo, KERNEL)  
> 

Re: [ptxdist] [APPLIED] kernel: fix modules.builtin.modinfo being executable

[Michael Olbrich]

Hi,

On Mon, Jan 12, 2026 at 04:30:53PM +0100, ruggero rossi via ptxdist wrote:
> migrating to PTXDIST 2026.01.0, I found a problem compiling the kernel.
> In my (quite old) kernel, there are no modules.builtin.modinfo files,
> and ptxdist install fails.

Older than 5.2, right? That's the version the file was introduced from what
I can tell from the git history.

> It seems that the reason is this patch.
> 
> The following patch solved my problem:
> 
> --- /usr/local/lib/ptxdist-2026.01.0/rules/kernel.make	2025-12-12
> 09:44:06.000000000 +0100 +++ kernel.make	2026-01-12
> 16:14:44.223920509 +0100 @@ -285,7 +285,11 @@
>  	@$(call targetinfo)
>  ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
>  	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
> -	@chmod -x $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo
> +	@for fileName in
> $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo; do \
> +        if "$fileName" ; then \
> +            chmod -x "$filename" ; \
> +        fi ;\
> +    done

I don't like patterns like this, because it silently fails if there is a
typo. And we know, that this is only needed for 6.18 or later. And all 6.x
versions install this file. So maybe wrap it with:

ifeq ($(KERNEL_VERSION_MAJOR),6)
	...
endif

Michael

>  endif
>  	@$(call world/dtb, KERNEL)
>  	@$(call world/dtbo, KERNEL)
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Ruggero Rossi
> 
> 
> On Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:52:10 +0100
> Michael Olbrich <m.olbrich@pengutronix.de> wrote:
> 
> > Thanks, applied as 844408110d046a967ec1d588dd038d95a6065514.
> > 
> > Michael
> > 
> > [sent from post-receive hook]
> > 
> > On Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:52:10 +0100, Fabian Pfitzner
> > <f.pfitzner@pengutronix.de> wrote:
> > > Since kernel commit a26a6c93edfe ("kbuild: Strip trailing padding
> > > bytes from modules.builtin.modinfo") [1], the resulting
> > > modules.builtin.modinfo file gets copied by objcopy resulting in an
> > > executable file.
> > > 
> > > It seems, that objcopy detects this file as executable even though
> > > the file is not executable at all.
> > > 
> > > Fix this problem by removing the execution bit afterwards.
> > > 
> > > I also send a patch upstream to the kernel [2].
> > > 
> > > [1]
> > > https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251105-kbuild-fix-builtin-modinfo-for-kmod-v1-1-b419d8ad4606@kernel.org
> > > [2]
> > > https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251209-modinfo-executable-v1-1-ed0c553a4390@pengutronix.de/#t
> > > 
> > > Signed-off-by: Fabian Pfitzner <f.pfitzner@pengutronix.de>
> > > Message-Id:
> > > <20251210-modinfo-executable-v1-1-23c6f3fc999e@pengutronix.de>
> > > Signed-off-by: Michael Olbrich <m.olbrich@pengutronix.de>
> > > 
> > > diff --git a/rules/kernel.make b/rules/kernel.make
> > > index 9cdc95a91b8b..e974304043f6 100644
> > > --- a/rules/kernel.make
> > > +++ b/rules/kernel.make
> > > @@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ $(STATEDIR)/kernel.install:
> > >  	@$(call targetinfo)
> > >  ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
> > >  	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
> > > +	@chmod -x
> > > $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo endif
> > >  	@$(call world/dtb, KERNEL)
> > >  	@$(call world/dtbo, KERNEL)  
> > 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Pengutronix e.K.                           |                             |
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Re: [ptxdist] [APPLIED] kernel: fix modules.builtin.modinfo being executable

[ruggero rossi via ptxdist]

Hi,
> 
> I don't like patterns like this, because it silently fails if there is a
> typo. And we know, that this is only needed for 6.18 or later. And all
> 6.x versions install this file. So maybe wrap it with:
> 
> ifeq ($(KERNEL_VERSION_MAJOR),6)
> 	...
> endif
> 
> Michael
> 
In this case the patch is much simpler:

-- /usr/local/lib/ptxdist-2026.01.0/rules/kernel.make	2025-12-12
09:44:06.000000000 +0100 
+++ kernel.make	2026-01-13 10:36:36.840222985 +0100 
@@ -285,8 +285,10 @@
 	@$(call targetinfo)
 ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
 	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
+ifeq ($(KERNEL_VERSION_MAJOR),6)
 	@chmod -x $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo
 endif
+endif
 	@$(call world/dtb, KERNEL)
 	@$(call world/dtbo, KERNEL)
 	@$(call touch)

Ín my case I tested it successfully, and I think it would be nice to have
it included in the future.

Best regards,

Ruggero

Re: [ptxdist] [APPLIED] kernel: fix modules.builtin.modinfo being executable

[Uwe Kleine-König]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1147 bytes --]

Hello,

On Mon, Jan 12, 2026 at 04:30:53PM +0100, ruggero rossi via ptxdist wrote:
> migrating to PTXDIST 2026.01.0, I found a problem compiling the kernel.
> In my (quite old) kernel, there are no modules.builtin.modinfo files,
> and ptxdist install fails.
> 
> It seems that the reason is this patch.
> 
> The following patch solved my problem:
> 
> --- /usr/local/lib/ptxdist-2026.01.0/rules/kernel.make	2025-12-12
> 09:44:06.000000000 +0100 +++ kernel.make	2026-01-12
> 16:14:44.223920509 +0100 @@ -285,7 +285,11 @@
>  	@$(call targetinfo)
>  ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
>  	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
> -	@chmod -x $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo
> +	@for fileName in
> $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo; do \
> +        if "$fileName" ; then \

	if "$fileName"

looks wrong to me. Either this gives you a "Permission denied" error, or
the file already has the x bit set :-)

The side effect is however that $? is 0 because the if swallows the
error code, so it indeed fixes the build (but probably with an error
message in the log).

Best regards
Uwe

[-- Attachment #2: signature.asc --]
[-- Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 488 bytes --]

Re: [ptxdist] [APPLIED] kernel: fix modules.builtin.modinfo being executable

[ruggero rossi via ptxdist]

On Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:57:29 +0100
Uwe Kleine-König <u.kleine-koenig@baylibre.com> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> 	if "$fileName"
> 
> looks wrong to me. Either this gives you a "Permission denied" error, or
> the file already has the x bit set :-)
you are right. For some reason the [ -f ... ] disappeared.

However the observation of Michael Olbrich
> I don't like patterns like this, because it silently fails if there is a
> typo. And we know, that this is only needed for 6.18 or later. And all
> 6.x versions install this file. So maybe wrap it with:
> 
> ifeq ($(KERNEL_VERSION_MAJOR),6)
> 	...
> endif
> 

made this workaround unnecessary. The patch now should be:

-- /usr/local/lib/ptxdist-2026.01.0/rules/kernel.make	2025-12-12
09:44:06.000000000 +0100 
+++ kernel.make	2026-01-13 10:36:36.840222985 +0100 
@@ -285,8 +285,10 @@
 	@$(call targetinfo)
 ifdef PTXCONF_KERNEL_MODULES_INSTALL
 	@$(call world/install, KERNEL)
+ifeq ($(KERNEL_VERSION_MAJOR),6)
 	@chmod -x $(KERNEL_PKGDIR)/lib/modules/*/modules.builtin.modinfo
 endif
+endif
 	@$(call world/dtb, KERNEL)
 	@$(call world/dtbo, KERNEL)
 	@$(call touch)

reducing the changes against the original to a very minimum.

Best regards

Ruggero