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Re: Update headers for Linux 3.15
- From: Roland McGrath <roland at hack dot frob dot com>
- To: "Joseph S. Myers" <joseph at codesourcery dot com>
- Cc: <libc-alpha at sourceware dot org>
- Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:44:02 -0700 (PDT)
- Subject: Re: Update headers for Linux 3.15
- Authentication-results: sourceware.org; auth=none
- References: <Pine dot LNX dot 4 dot 64 dot 1406171551320 dot 23412 at digraph dot polyomino dot org dot uk>
> * renameat2 - this relates to the general question of when glibc
> should provide bindings to Linux kernel syscalls, which requires
> someone to take the lead on producing an analysis with reference to
> the various previous threads on this subject, seeking consensus on
> principles for when to provide such bindings, and then adding
> bindings for whatever syscalls meet the principles but don't
> currently have them.
A new kernel feature like this can be addressed in two ways. What
you've described is one of them. The other is to decide that the
feature is worthy of being a first-class part of the GNU API, and
add support for it specifically in libc (including an ENOSYS stub
that non-Linux configurations will use until and unless the feature
is implemented elsewhere). Off hand I am not particularly inclined
to argue for such treatment for renameat2. But the general point
stands for how to contemplate such issues as they arise.
Thanks,
Roland