linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH -mm -v3] x86 boot : export boot

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Date:	Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:00:28 -0800
From:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:	Greg KH <greg@...ah.com>
CC:	"Huang, Ying" <ying.huang@...el.com>, akpm@...ux-foundation.org,
	Thomas Gleixner <tglx@...utronix.de>,
	Ingo Molnar <mingo@...hat.com>, Andi Kleen <ak@...e.de>,
	"Eric W. Biederman" <ebiederm@...ssion.com>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH -mm -v3] x86 boot : export boot_params via sysfs

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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