compilation error: request for member in something not a structure or union

Question

Edit: The code below has been modified to work as the problem has been solved.

Specifically, (*hardwareList.next_item)->next

Answer 1

hardwareList.next_item is HardwareListItem**, so operator -> on it returns HardwareListItem*, which obviously is not a struct.

You're using too many pointers, it is confusing. Try to simplify your code, you have tons of bugs there.