From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1751357AbWGJNW4 (ORCPT ); Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:22:56 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1751393AbWGJNW4 (ORCPT ); Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:22:56 -0400 Received: from ns.virtualhost.dk ([195.184.98.160]:23864 "EHLO virtualhost.dk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751357AbWGJNWz (ORCPT ); Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:22:55 -0400 Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 15:25:29 +0200 From: Jens Axboe To: Michael Kerrisk Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: splice() and file offsets Message-ID: <20060710132529.GD5210@suse.de> References: <20060710121110.26260@gmx.net> <20060710125150.GM25911@suse.de> <20060710130754.26280@gmx.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20060710130754.26280@gmx.net> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Mon, Jul 10 2006, Michael Kerrisk wrote: > Jens, > > > > What are the semantics of splice() supposed to be with respect > > > to the current file offsets of 'fd_in' and 'fd_out', and how > > > is the presence or absence (NULL) of 'off_in' and 'off_out' > > > supposed to affect things. > > > > > > Using the program below, here is what I observe for > > > fd_out/off_out: > > > > > > 1. If off_out is NULL, then > > > a) splice() changes the current file offset of fd_out. > > > > > > 2. If off_out is not NULL, then splice() > > > a) does not change the current file offset of fd_out, but > > > b) treats off_out as a value result parameter, returning > > > an updated offset of the file. > > > > > > It is "2 a)" that surprises me. But perhaps it's expected > > > behaviour; or I'm doing something dumb in my test program. > > > > Not sure why you find that surprising, that is exactly what is supposed > > to happen :-) > > > > If you don't give off_out, we use the current position. For most people, > > that's probably what they want. If you are sharing the fd, that doesn't > > work though. So you pass off_in/off_out as you please, and the kernel > > uses those and passes the updated parameter back out so you don't have > > to update it manually. > > I'm still not clear here. Let me phrase my question another way: > why is it that the presence or absence of off_out affects whether > or not splice() changes the current file offset for fd_out? The logic is simple - either you don't give an explicit offset, and the current position is used and updated. Or you give an offset, and the current position is ignored (not read, not updated). > > It's identical to how sendfile() works. > > But it isn't: sendfile() never changes the file offset > of its 'in_fd'. Ehm, yes it does. Would you expect the app to do an appropriate lseek() on every sendfile() call? -- Jens Axboe