Re: /proc guidelines and sysctl

[Frodo Looijaard]

Linus Torvalds wrote:
> 
> In short, sysctl NEEDS:
>  - "naming": you cannot name the sysctl space with a number: it is much
>    too dynamic for that. How do you enumerate drivers? Give them random
>    numbers?
>  - "listing": showing which sysctl's are there, in a hierarchical manner.
>    Again, a listing is useless with a number.
>  - "hierarchy". You have different devices, but they have the same
>    controls. Do they get the same name? Yes. But in different places in
>    the hierarchy.

Yes. For lm_sensors, 'directories' within /proc/sys/dev/sensors are
created automatically whenever a new sensors device is found. The
only way right now to find the sysctl numbers of these directories
is to read another file (/proc/sys/dev/sensors/devices), which lists
them. It works well, but it is not very beautiful. 

I suspect there will be more drivers in the future which will have
these problems. Some way of getting a list of the sysctl 'files'
present within a sysctl 'directory' is essential.
 
(for those wondering: lm_sensors is a collection of drivers for
 mainboard SMBus adapters and hardware sensors devices. You can
 find more information at http://www.lm-sensors.nu/. Due to
 the current kernel feature freeze, we will not submit it until
 the 2.5 tree has started. Meanwhile, they work great for 2.2 or
 2.3 kernels).

  Frodo

-- 
Frodo Looijaard <[e-mail]>  PGP key and more: http://huizen.dds.nl/~frodol
Defenestration n. (formal or joc.):
  The act of removing Windows from your computer in disgust, usually followed
  by the installation of Linux or some other Unix-like operating system.