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To: Darren Reed <darrenr@cyber.com.au>
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Subject: Re: Freebsd 3.0 current fails ipfilter 3.2b8 build (fwd)
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Darren Reed wrote:

> Well, I just had a look at net/if.h & net/if_var.h for -current and it
> appears as if someone has really created a good ol' mess in there.
> (Sort of inline with what the rumour mill is saying about FreeBSD
>  networking code...)

ah fightin' words ;-)
I'm bowing out, 
Iagree there's a mess there, but hopefully it's because
it's in transition.
> 
> In if.h, "struct ifnet" is gone, but if_var.h is included if KERNEL is
> defined.  However, all the #define's for the if_flags are still in if.h.
I think that's because they are needed externally.
the flags word is passed around independantly of the 
ifnet.  (e.g. through the API)


> If someone feels the need to change something, please ensure that the
> structs from if_var.h get into if.h by if if.h is included, no matter
> what.
> 
> Cripes, not even Solaris2 is this brain dead.  In the new inet include
> directory, they have a similar sort of thing, but they did it right.
> Some files contain just extern's whilst others contain structures and
> externs.
> 
> Might I suggest that this is the way to go ?

I point the finger directly at garrett. If he says so it can happen.

> 
> Structures defined in .h files, whilst maybe used in the kernel, are
> not always used only in that fashion.  If there are changes made to
> them, then it should not harm user code if dependencies can be
> correctly determined.

we are trying to remove all extrernal references to such structures.

> 
> Putting things into different .h files doesn't stop people from using
> what you think are "kernel private" in other ways, it just makes them
> angry and annoyed that something has changed (for no good reason) and
> they now must deal with it.  If something like the name for "loif" had
> moved and changed, then you'd be quite right with the assertion of it
> being "kernel private", etc.

I think the problem is that you are seeing a half finished transition.
But I understand your frustration.

> 
> Darren