Re: Rules on how to use sysfs in userspace programs

From: Kay Sievers
Date: Sat Jun 09 2007 - 13:27:25 EST


On 6/9/07, Alexander E. Patrakov <patrakov@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Greg KH wrote:
> - Do not use libsysfs
> It makes assumptions about sysfs which are not true. Its API does not
> offer any abstraction, it exposes all the kernel driver-core
> implementation details in its own API. Therefore it is not better than
> reading directories and opening the files yourself.
> Also, it is not actively maintained, in the sense of reflecting the
> current kernel-development. The goal of providing a stable interface
> to sysfs has failed, it causes more problems, than it solves. It
> violates many of the rules in this document.

The problem is that even on ftp.kernel.org there are packages like
pcmciautils that still link to libsysfs and contain things like #define
PATH_TO_SOCKET "/sys/class/pcmcia_socket/". Are they expected to be fixed?

It will continue to work, because we keep the symlinks it expects, but
libsysfs is so broken in its interface, that nothing should use it,
especially nothing should start using it today.

Thanks,
Kay
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