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Date:      Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:11:34 +0200
From:      Alexander Leidinger <netchild@FreeBSD.org>
To:        Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@phk.freebsd.dk>
Cc:        Wilko Bulte <wb@freebie.xs4all.nl>, src-committers@FreeBSD.org, cvs-all@FreeBSD.org, cvs-src@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: cvs commit: src/etc Makefile sensorsd.conf src/etc/defaults rc.conf src/etc/rc.d Makefile sensorsd src/lib/libc/gen sysctl.3 src/sbin/sysctl sysctl.8 sysctl.c src/share/man/man5 rc.conf.5 src/share/man/man9 Makefile sensor_attach.9 src/sys/conf files ...
Message-ID:  <20071018091134.jzo7m88374ow00c8@webmail.leidinger.net>
In-Reply-To: <52235.1192653371@critter.freebsd.dk>
References:  <52235.1192653371@critter.freebsd.dk>

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Quoting Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@phk.freebsd.dk> (from Wed, 17 Oct 2007 =20
20:36:11 +0000):

> In message <20071017160440.b6fd00xs6cog888g@webmail.leidinger.net>,  =20
> Alexander L
> eidinger writes:
>> Quoting Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@phk.freebsd.dk> (from Tue, 16 Oct 2007 =3D=
20
>> 17:32:40 +0000):
>
> This discussion is growing too many branches, I have pruned to the
> central core for now:
>
>>> By defining the sensor API (on top of sysctl) at the kernel/userland
>>> boundary you have decided that all sensor implementations must live
>>> in the kernel, there is no room in your architecture for sensors
>>> that live in userland.
>>
>> No, I didn't. I said (even last time when you first told us that you
>> don't like the sensors framework), that the sensors framework is
>> supposed to export data which lifes in the kernel to the userland. I
>> never said the sensors framework is supposed to be the one and only
>> way of getting status data from a running system.
>
> This is what I think is the most fatal flaw in this design.
>
> It is only an API for _some_ of the sensors in a system, and because
> of that limitation, it invites people to try to shoehorn things
> that do not belong there, into that subset.

Again, we don't need to put everything what OpenBSD puts into =20
hw.sensors into our hw.sensors. If you object to include the time =20
stuff into hw.sensors when we have an existing and good API for this, =20
I don't object. I even agree with you, as this would be a good =20
technical argument. But this is unrelated to the sensors framework =20
(the API). It is related how this API is used. Nothing prevents us to =20
come up with a policy how this API shall be used.

And for the "in a system" part, see my answer to Julian Elischer. You =20
are talking about something what I call "single-system sensor =20
framework" in the mail to him.

> In this case, that puts code into the kernel that should under no
> circumstances (have to) live there.
>
> The timekeeping sensors is a prefect example of that, since March
> 2000 RFC2783 has defined the API for such stuff, but rather than
> go and do things properly, somebody goes and implements DCF77
> decoding in the kernel.

There was no modification to your time-stuff in FreeBSD. Instead of =20
complaining against the entire sensors framework, you could asks to =20
include a text somewhere, which tells that we are not interested to =20
add a sensor for the time stuff and why.

> Kernel Architecture is just as much about preventing things as
> enabling them.
>
> Sensors, as here presented, fails both criteria: It doesn't do
> enough for the relevant subject matter, and doesn't keep
> irrelevant stuff abay.

Keeping the irrelevant stuff away means instantiating a policy. =20
Nothing prevents us from this. Feel free to start by contributing a =20
text which states that we don't want time sensors and why. For the =20
relevant things where you think it doesn't do enough, you should tell =20
us what you are talking about and why it is relevant. Maybe what you =20
want can be done without problems. As you haven't looked at the =20
framework itself (as you said you don't like the idea to an extend =20
that it is not even worth looking at it), you are in a weak position =20
to tell something can not be done with it (we've seen several times =20
that high level things you used to object against the sensors =20
framework integrate without problems into the sensors framework).

Bye,
Alexander.

--=20
http://www.Leidinger.net  Alexander @ Leidinger.net: PGP ID =3D B0063FE7
http://www.FreeBSD.org     netchild @ FreeBSD.org  : PGP ID =3D 72077137
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of
someone he can blame it on.




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