Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1759146AbYFIJEF (ORCPT ); Mon, 9 Jun 2008 05:04:05 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1758717AbYFIJDp (ORCPT ); Mon, 9 Jun 2008 05:03:45 -0400 Received: from xc.sipsolutions.net ([83.246.72.84]:46510 "EHLO sipsolutions.net" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1758632AbYFIJDo (ORCPT ); Mon, 9 Jun 2008 05:03:44 -0400 Subject: Re: Is configfs the right solution for configuration based fs? From: Johannes Berg To: "Luis R. Rodriguez" Cc: linux-wireless , linux kernel , Greg KH , Joel Becker , Satyam Sharma , Felix Fietkau , Al Viro , "H. Peter Anvin" In-Reply-To: <43e72e890806081425h4e785800nc618fc1985f9809f@mail.gmail.com> (sfid-20080608_232543_873639_74C0A387) References: <43e72e890806081425h4e785800nc618fc1985f9809f@mail.gmail.com> (sfid-20080608_232543_873639_74C0A387) Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha1; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="=-djGUdjJlTFTxUVG1xU3+" Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:03:07 +0200 Message-Id: <1213002187.698.62.camel@johannes.berg> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Evolution 2.22.2 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2553 Lines: 58 --=-djGUdjJlTFTxUVG1xU3+ Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > I was really interested in looking to start a filesystem based > approach for configuration of wireless a while back, an alternative to > nl80211 if you will, but I stopped after I was told about some major > issues with configfs. I forget the issues raised clearly so I'd like > to bring this up for debate to see what really are the issues, what > needs to be fixed so we can *properly* use a fs for configuration of > subsystems. Personally, I have a few issues with this: 1) why bother with a second configuration interface that we have to maintain, adjust, ...? if we need scriptable access, then make a good userspace tool that is scriptable. 2) string-based stuff is often messy, especially the varying attributes like MAC addresses etc. Unless we just use binary files again, which is not very useful again. Take, for example, the monitor flags. If we use the same flags then nobody really knows what's up=20 (echo 0x3 > mntr_flags?) and if we use strings then we cannot easily ever rename the flag while keeping ABI/API compatibility. 3) afaik configfs doesn't actually support the mkdir, ... stuff yet that you want for virtual interfaces. johannes --=-djGUdjJlTFTxUVG1xU3+ Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name=signature.asc Content-Description: This is a digitally signed message part -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Comment: Johannes Berg (powerbook) iQIcBAABAgAGBQJITPHIAAoJEKVg1VMiehFYdLcP/2bt2AWECyBOQuEE8+Td2nGA 8O6+oCgh3gvANEDRUluYZTHjQzBlwGxXOg9Dbh52YPP+RTHnUrZsaeFEkF3JC0ZW CJTIfLXOfsH50RdSOEwokKDFOlETUcbAcd6HGcesBJtqLqHKN1DJlWEUNgEkewbn X+CCkpBseJdu9F7bHq0Pi0ApxFisMhNcDusH/4b1Ca6+yRKZ7haj+qVsZJXA/JYM xwdwriEmITXc61NoFojYdKvGIPzRaemQmxARAEc+S9pQ/26BXu1zwaqc72dDbSra bVsZf/v9p2XR6i0UuXMZbP7z8tQzzTvnd041LEziI1zIq/Suh5YRXCDNr0w2nxAt iBDvhWKD80oHjXqMEfQOFry9mmyw3ULdx3NGzD/WR60eJte+c/rt47EGqUF8GkHa kRDOgCZzaE7o9RmxRicXx9+y6S/G3Tjn46cbuFnq690tsv30O61jPCFRyheekTzk ayLhD26WPQqV/Xf06bl6YKUWz1+6L46WlZDJWJc1mgxllh8fOiAz2W7w8CTEN0QR V7FVwp1WzKBxt0PhlyUGfRWaf8dGQpC5BO5wz+HVRZEq7J4vRmZUi3zj9FKvmuTM UiO7KI8IQCD3VMDsgpJEEW0JYjDHTfs5HMabX/VXwEA0hi3lRd25LPAUb91au3Io Y8hhP2DK2SUygqZteJKm =Y/NG -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --=-djGUdjJlTFTxUVG1xU3+-- -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/