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[xfs-masters] Re: [PATCH 0/59] Cleanup sysctl

To: "Eric W. Biederman" <ebiederm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [xfs-masters] Re: [PATCH 0/59] Cleanup sysctl
From: "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:53:19 -0800
Cc: Andrew Morton <akpm@xxxxxxxx>, linux-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Linux Containers <containers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, netdev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, xfs-masters@xxxxxxxxxxx, xfs@xxxxxxxxxxx, linux-scsi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, James.Bottomley@xxxxxxxxxxxx, minyard@xxxxxxx, openipmi-developer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tony.luck@xxxxxxxxx, linux-mips@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, ralf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, schwidefsky@xxxxxxxxxx, heiko.carstens@xxxxxxxxxx, linux390@xxxxxxxxxx, linux-390@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, paulus@xxxxxxxxx, linuxppc-dev@xxxxxxxxxx, lethal@xxxxxxxxxxxx, linuxsh-shmedia-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, ak@xxxxxxx, vojtech@xxxxxxx, clemens@xxxxxxxxxx, a.zummo@xxxxxxxxxxxx, rtc-linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, linux-parport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, andrea@xxxxxxx, tim@xxxxxxxxxxxx, philb@xxxxxxx, aharkes@xxxxxxxxxx, coda@xxxxxxxxxx, codalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, aia21@xxxxxxxxxx, linux-ntfs-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, mark.fasheh@xxxxxxxxxx, kurt.hackel@xxxxxxxxxx
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Eric W. Biederman wrote:
> 
> - Removal of sys_sysctl support where people had used conflicting sysctl
>   numbers. Trying to break glibc or other applications by changing the
>   ABI is not cool.  9 instances of this in the kernel seems a little
>   extreme.
> 

It would be highly advantageous if we could have a file that acts as a 
central registry of architectural sysctl numbers *and have the numbers 
in the kernel derived from there*.  As I've said before, I don't really 
think sys_sysctl is any worse than ad hoc system calls (sys_mips and the 
like), but the real problem is that there are architectural and 
non-archtectural numbers, and they're mixed in all over the place.

I think it would be fair to say that if they're not in <linux/sysctl.h> 
they're not architectural, but that doesn't resolve the counterpositive 
(are there sysctls in <linux/sysctl.h> which aren't architectural?  From 
the looks of it, I would say yes.)  Non-architectural sysctl numbers 
should not be exported to userspace, and should eventually be rejected 
by sys_sysctl.

        -hpa


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