Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 14:17:10 -0700 (MST) From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org> To: grog@lemis.de Cc: lyndon@orthanc.com, hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Enough already! (Was: Where is the documentation for ibcs2?) Message-ID: <199511282117.OAA22060@phaeton.artisoft.com> In-Reply-To: <199511281143.MAA25890@allegro.lemis.de> from "Greg Lehey" at Nov 28, 95 12:43:17 pm
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> 3. the program /usr/bin/ibcs2 really belongs in /usr/sbin, as Terry > says. I don't agree that that absolves it from needing > documentation. Actually, the module should be in the non-existant directory that isn't referenced in FILES as a default path prefix for relative paths if the module isn't located relative to the current working directory. Maybe something like "/usr/lkm" or "/lkm" or whatever. Said "FILES" line being in the "modload(8)" man page, after modload is modified to have a "default relative path prefix" so that the addition to the "modload(8)" documentation would be correct. That is, the shell script "ibcs2" shouldn't exist at all... And not existing, it should not have a man page. Then for future directions: /etc/sysconfig, taking on a SNMP/.Xconfig flavor, needs several lines like: lkm.eclass.ibcs2.magic: <list of magic numbers this module runs> lkm.eclass.ibsc2.desc: "SCO/SVR3 ABI Support" lkm.eclass.ibcs2.load: NO lkm.eclass.ibcs2.kmods: ibcs2_coff_mod,socksys_mod The module loader needs to be moved into the kernel, both to allow demand loading of modules, and to get rid of the kernel symbol stacking order requirements (gee, you could even SNMP manage something like this, assuing you used IBM's multiple agent registration model for SNMP II (suprise! IBM's source code for this is available for free as a streams module!). Then when you try to run something (which God only knows how you installed without install tools unless you already read and understood the source code), it will say: You must load the following option using the system configuration and installation tool before you can run this program: SCO/SVR3 ABI Support On the console, or even to the user, if you have a clever shell that recognizes exec error returns, or we ever get around to implementing a decent broadcast mechanism that knows the terminal emulation is in the base state before sending it's data (you need one of these for transparent printing using printers attached to terminals AUX ports anyway). If lkm demand loading is present, then we can assume that ".load" won't be "YES" or "DEMAND" unless the libraries and other crap are present. If it's "DEMAND", then the ".magic" lines are used to recognize the set of modules needed, and they are loaded transparently and the binary is run as if "YES" had been specified. Even without "DEMAND" as an option (simple "YES/NO" option), the error message is sufficient documentation, assuming the other pieces are there. The remaining documentation can be installed as part of the ABI package mechanism, since you will need it installed to be able to get reasonable (non-random) responses from attempting to install non-native binaries without working IBCS2 installation tools. Obviously, the remaining documentation must wait until the remaining pieces are written. Terry Lambert terry@lambert.org --- Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present or previous employers.
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