support for calling Linux syscalls directly

[H. Peter Anvin]

On 01/30/2013 09:56 PM, Mike Frysinger wrote:
>
> will the kernel types get namespaced ?  or will it rely on the C library to
> provide the proper structures (according to relevant standards) ?  the problem
> we have currently with the network headers is they define the same structure
> name.  we don't want to have that be the starting point for a new lib, and it
> seems like it'd be real easy for that to become more of a problem.  another
> example is handling of bits that often share the enum/define names such as stat
> or fcntl or mmap.
>

As far as kernel types are concerned: I assume we should fix the issues 
with exporting types into the headers -- I suspect that if the libc 
provides network headers it can continue to do so, since those generally 
have to match the kernel types anyway.

In other words, what you describe above is really no different than the 
current issues with things like ioctl() and socket functions, and the 
same problems/solutions apply there.

The uapi cleanup is an endeavor to get a set of kernel header files 
which export the kernel/user space ABI and in such a way that it doesn't 
step on libc.  Problems should be addressed there, of course.

	-hpa

-- 
H. Peter Anvin, Intel Open Source Technology Center
I work for Intel.  I don't speak on their behalf.