ARM treats its `char` type as `unsigned type` by default; as a result,
testing a `char` value as being `< 0` is always false.  This is a
warning on ARM, which is promoted to an error given our use of
`-Werror`.

Per ISO 9899:199, section "6.2.5 Types":

> The three types char, signed char, and unsigned char are collectively
> called the character types. The implementation shall define char to
> have the same range, representation, and behavior as either signed
> char or unsigned char.
>
...

> Irrespective of the choice made, char is a separate type from the other
> two and is not compatible with either.