quentin@chrystal ~/linux-2.6 $ cat test.S                                                     0

#define alt_max_short(a, b)    ((a) ^ (((a) ^ (b)) & -(-((a) < (b)))))

	.pushsection .text, "ax"
.globl main
main:
	// zero padding
	.skip -((alt_max_short(1, 2) - 3) > 0) * \
		(alt_max_short(1, 2) - 3),0x01
	// one byte padding
	.skip -((alt_max_short(1, 3) - (2)) > 0) * \
		(alt_max_short(1, 3) - (2)),0x02
	// zero padding
	.skip -((alt_max_short(2, 1) - (3)) > 0) * \
		(alt_max_short(2, 1) - (3)),0x03
	// two bytes padding
	.skip -((alt_max_short(2, 3) - (1)) > 0) * \
		(alt_max_short(2, 3) - (1)),0x04
	// one byte padding
	.skip -((alt_max_short(3, 1) - (2)) > 0) * \
		(alt_max_short(3, 1) - (2)),0x05
	// two bytes padding
	.skip -((alt_max_short(3, 2) - (1)) > 0) * \
		(alt_max_short(3, 2) - (1)),0x06
	// three bytes padding
	.skip -((alt_max_short(3, 2) - (0)) > 0) * \
		(alt_max_short(3, 2) - (0)),0x07
	// two bytes padding
	.skip -((alt_max_short(3, 0) - (1)) > 0) * \
		(alt_max_short(3, 0) - (1)),0x08

	.popsection
quentin@chrystal ~/linux-2.6 $ gcc -c test.S -o test.o                                        0
test.S: Assembler messages:
test.S:8: Warning: .space repeat count is zero, ignored
test.S:14: Warning: .space repeat count is zero, ignored
quentin@chrystal ~/linux-2.6 $ objdump -j .text -s test.o                                     0

test.o:     file format elf64-x86-64

Contents of section .text:
 0000 02040405 06060707 070808             ...........