From owner-freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jul 10 21:43:46 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.org Delivered-To: freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DBD0F16A475; Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:43:46 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from phk@critter.freebsd.dk) Received: from phk.freebsd.dk (phk.freebsd.dk [130.225.244.222]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9518F13C4AE; Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:43:46 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from phk@critter.freebsd.dk) Received: from critter.freebsd.dk (unknown [192.168.61.3]) by phk.freebsd.dk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8311D17380; Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:43:44 +0000 (UTC) Received: from critter.freebsd.dk (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by critter.freebsd.dk (8.14.1/8.14.1) with ESMTP id l6ALhhXA053467; Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:43:43 GMT (envelope-from phk@critter.freebsd.dk) To: Doug Ambrisko From: "Poul-Henning Kamp" In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:00:32 MST." <200707102100.l6AL0WPA063338@ambrisko.com> Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:43:43 +0000 Message-ID: <53466.1184103823@critter.freebsd.dk> Sender: phk@critter.freebsd.dk Cc: Rui Paulo , Shteryana Shopova , freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.org, "Constantine A. Murenin" Subject: Re: Porting OpenBSD's sysctl hw.sensors framework to FreeBSD (was: Re: PERFORCE change 123040 for review) X-BeenThere: freebsd-arch@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion related to FreeBSD architecture List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:43:47 -0000 A number of observations: The main problem about hardware monitoring is the lack of a name-space. The OpenBSD sysctl doesn't get anywhere close to providing that. Putting stuff in the kernel is not a magic solution to that problem, as we have seen far too many examples of, starting with the socket(2) mistake in early BSD UNIX, and reaching a preliminary pinnacle with the SysV IPC mechanisms. The first task therefore, must be to design a namespace where all the assorted pieces of software can contribute their measurements and registrations. Once that's designed, we can start to argue if the code should live in the kernel, userland or in ports. But please don't import any half-assed "Ohh, I'll just hack this in there" non-solutions. -- Poul-Henning Kamp | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20 phk@FreeBSD.ORG | TCP/IP since RFC 956 FreeBSD committer | BSD since 4.3-tahoe Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.