Re: Kernel<->Userspace API issue

["H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@zytor.com>]

Followup to:  <20030418092755.A25177@flint.arm.linux.org.uk>
By author:    Russell King <rmk@arm.linux.org.uk>
In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel
>
> A problem has recently been reported on the ARM lists regarding RT signal
> handling.  It appears that there is an issue between glibc and the kernel,
> in that glibc has a different idea of the layout of structures passed
> from the kernel than the kernel itself.
> 
> I think this is a case in point that our policy on "userspace must not
> include kernel headers" is completely wrong when it comes to user
> space interfaces.  I believe we need is a clear set of defined user
> space interface headers which contain the definition of structures and
> numbers shared between user space and kernel space.  ie, include/abi
> or some such.
> 
> No, glibckernheaders (or whatever it is) is NOT the solution - that
> just creates yet another set of header files to potentially go out
> of sync.
> 

This is basically the "ABI headers" issue I have been harping on about
for some time.  It's a sizable job, though, and a matter of finding
someone to do it.

	-hpa
-- 
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