linux-kernel - Re: [take 3] Use pid in inotify events.

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Date:	Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:23:01 -0500
From:	"Michael Kerrisk" <mtk.manpages@...glemail.com>
To:	"Evgeniy Polyakov" <zbr@...emap.net>
Cc:	"Robert Love" <rlove@...ve.org>, linux-api@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	"Andrew Morton" <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
	"Christoph Hellwig" <hch@....de>
Subject: Re: [take 3] Use pid in inotify events.

Hi Evgeniy,

On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 12:15 PM, Evgeniy Polyakov <zbr@...emap.net> wrote:
> Hi Michael.
>
> On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 11:59:11AM -0500, Michael Kerrisk (mtk.manpages@...glemail.com) wrote:
>> NAK.  If we are going to do this -- and I leave the security
>> discussions to others more knowlegeable on that score than me -- then
>> the API design should be better than this.  The current design is a
>> hack.  Why exclude rename events?  Why re-use the cookie field?  The
>> only answers I can guess at are that the current patch is less work to
>> write.  IMO, there are (much) better design possibilities, using
>> inotify1(), as I suggested earlier in this thread.
>
> Cookie was created to store information used to somehow connect events to
> each other. PID does that from another angle than rename.

Yes, but it does it in an inconsistent, incomplete way.

> Extending
> (rewriting userspace event processing part) events is a solution for the
> new project,

Not quite sure of your point here.  Whatever change is made, userspace
apps will need to be trained to understand the interface.

> while existing patch (where all security concerns are
> resolved) is a minimum functionality extension.

It is a minimum functionality extension that serves the needs of one
or a few projects, while dirtying the design for all users.

> if I will spent a day and rewrite userspace report side to report new
> events I'm pretty sure there will be people, who will start complaining
> that again design does not match some theoretically perfect
> expectations,

Maybe.  Mabe not.  But that is (a necessary) part of the design process.

> and for the purpose of reporting origin's PID cookie
> fields can be reused since right now it is unused.

You didn't really respond to my earlier comment.  Why are you doing
things this way.  As far as I can see, only becuase it is quicker to
implement.

> Plus, if it is that hard to comment on patch which adds 14 (!) lines
> including blank, which feedback we should expect on larger one? :)

Still NAK, sorry.

Cheers,

Michael

-- 
Michael Kerrisk
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