mirror of https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/
 help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: Igor Zhbanov <izh1979@gmail.com>
To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Idea: Feature information / extensions dispatcher syscall.
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:12:07 +0400	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <f44001920904220712ye1644c9y90d637bf4ac3bbe@mail.gmail.com> (raw)

Hello!

System calls is a very convenient way to talk to modules. But when some modules
used locally (e.g. in one organization only) it will be to impractical
to reserve system
call number in linux kernel source for that feature forever. Usually
first free syscall
number is used. But when new system call is introduced in official kernel,
one need to rewrite all modules and libraries, since first free
syscall number is increased.

I suggest to reserve one system call to provide information about
other system calls.
This can help to build system call independent programs.

That informational / dispatcher system call can take some identifier
as argument (e.g. GUID)
and return some information about asked extension (e.g. syscall number
for that extension).

So libraries that use some additional functionality upon first call of
extension function
will ask kernel (via informational syscall), what is the number of
feature's syscall, and will
use it later directly.

Also can be useful to reserve some system call number (e.g. 8) for
such extensions,
so extension modules can use first unused number of this set.

This allow to use system calls in any extension modules without need to reserve
syscall number in kernel source and allow binaries to run correctly on
any kernel
(where that extension feature can have another syscall number).

What do you think?

             reply	other threads:[~2009-04-22 14:12 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 7+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2009-04-22 14:12 Igor Zhbanov [this message]
2009-04-22 14:18 ` Andi Kleen
     [not found]   ` <f44001920904220732h2d6d18cfwef53af31bb218b87@mail.gmail.com>
2009-04-22 14:46     ` Igor Zhbanov
2009-04-22 15:12       ` Alan Cox
2009-04-22 15:22         ` Igor Zhbanov
2009-04-22 15:33           ` Alan Cox
2009-04-22 14:48   ` Igor Zhbanov

Reply instructions:

You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:

* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
  and reply-to-all from there: mbox

  Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style

* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
  switches of git-send-email(1):

  git send-email \
    --in-reply-to=f44001920904220712ye1644c9y90d637bf4ac3bbe@mail.gmail.com \
    --to=izh1979@gmail.com \
    --cc=linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org \
    /path/to/YOUR_REPLY

  https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html

* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
  via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox

all inboxes | Powered by JetHome®