Re: [PATCH -mm -v3] x86 boot : export boot_params via sysfs

From: H. Peter Anvin
Date: Fri Dec 14 2007 - 14:01:27 EST


H. Peter Anvin wrote:
Greg KH wrote:

But it ignored the fact that I said I didn't want this binary file in
sysfs :)

Please take Eric's suggestion and split it up into the different pieces.
Some of the fields can be binary files, as they come directly from the
firmware, but the others should be text.


But PLEASE include the full structure as a ready-to-eat object. PLEASE.


I should clarify this.

By all means go ahead and provide broken-out fields where it makes sense. However:

- this *IS* a structure defined by protocol, and which, for all users except the 16-bit entry, comes from outside the kernel (bootloader or firmware.)

- a newer kernel version can add fields to this structure, but can never remove them. This would cause a potential information loss if the current kernel doesn't have all fields available.

- the binary structure is the format that the majority of users will need.

This is directly analogous to how we treat identity information in IDE, or PCI configuration space -- some fields are pre-digested, but the entire raw information is also available.

-hpa
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