Re: [PATCH] Revised timerfd() interface

["Michael Kerrisk" <mtk-manpages@gmx.net>]

[...]
> > Neither of the proposed APIs (either my multiplexed version of 
> > timerfd()
> > or Jon's/my idea of using three system calls (like POSIX timers), or
> > the notion of timerfd() integrated with POSIX timers) is more
> > complicated than the existing POSIX timers API.
> > 
> > The ABI change doesn't really matter, since timerfd() was broken in
> > 2.6.22 anyway.
> > 
> > Both previous APIs provided the features I have described provide:
> > 
> > * the ability to fetch the old timer value when applying
> >   a new setting
> > 
> > * the ability to non-destructively fetch the amount of time remaining
> >   on a timer.
> > 
> > This is clearly useful for timers -- but you have not explained why
> > you think this is not necessary for timerfd timers.
> 
> <wakes up>
> 
> I'd have thought that the existing stuff would be near-useless without 
> the capabilities which you describe?

Not useless, but certainly less functional than it can/should be
(and with not too much effort on the kernel implementation side).

Cheers,

Michael
-- 
Michael Kerrisk
maintainer of Linux man pages Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 

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