Re: Header files and the kernel ABI

Brad Hards
2002-07-25T13:09:12Z

On Thu, 25 Jul 2002 16:28, H. Peter Anvin wrote:
> It seems to me that a reasonable solution for how to do this is not
> for user space to use kernel headers, but for user space and the
> kernel to share a set of common ABI description files[1]. These files
> should be highly stylized, and only describe things visible to user
> space. Furthermore, if they introduce types, they should use the
> already-established __kernel_ namespace, and of course __s* and __u*
> could be used for specific types.
I like it (having just argued for it), except for the __s* and __u*.
The ABI definitions aren't for kernel programmers. They are for
userspace programmers. So we should use standard types,
even if they are a bit ugly (and uint16_t isn't really much uglier
than __u16, and at least it doesn't carry connotations of
something that is meant to be internal, which is what the standard
double-underscore convention means).

Please, let us agree that the ABI definition should use standard
types wherever possible.

Brad

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