Re: alternate event logging proposal

Jeff Garzik
2002-09-24T19:58:31Z

Chris Friesen wrote:
> Also related is "how can userspace be notified of kernel events?". There
> is no way for a userspace app to be notified that, for instance, an ATM
> device got a loss of signal. The drivers print it out, but the
> userspace app has no clue.

> Maybe netlink is the way to go, but its not exactly a simple interface.

Well, the eventual intention [whenever <somebody> codes it up] for
ethernet devices is to have netlink proactively deliver link up/down
events, and perhaps other events. For this specific problem, at least,
I think netlink is the way to go. ATM drivers, or ethernet drivers,
simply need some helper functions they can call. The library code for
those helper functions is the only place where netlink complexity is
needed...

In existing drivers that call netif_carrier_{on,off}, it is perhaps even
possible to have them send netlink messages with no driver-specific code
changes at all.

Jeff