Re: [PATCH] ethtool.h should use userspace-accessible types

Eric W. Biederman
2004-03-12T17:16:29Z

Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com> writes:

> Eric W. Biederman wrote:
> > Eric Brower <ebrower@usa.net> writes:
> >
> >>Attached is a patch to 2.4's ethtool.h to use appropriate,
> userspace-accessible
>
> >>data types (__u8 and friends, rather than u8 and friends).
> > Why there is no #ifdef __KERNEL__ in this header to make it userspace
> > safe.
>
>
> Because it's not needed.

I think we are in agreement.

My intent was to say: Why change the types when there is no #ifdef
__KERNEL__ in the header. With no #ifdef __KERNEL__ it exports
definitions that are private to the kernel making it not safe for
userspace to use. With kernel private definitions in there it will
generate name space pollution if included by user space.

Eric