From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
From: Chetan Loke <chetanloke@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RFC] Enhance dev_ioctl to return <hwaddr>:<if_name::if_index>
	mapping
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:15:44 -0400
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To: David Miller <davem@davemloft.net>
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On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 4:04 PM, David Miller <davem@davemloft.net> wro=
te:
> From: Chetan Loke <chetanloke@gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:02:23 -0400
>
>> So all user space apps should replicate code when all of that can be
>> replaced at the cost of a single for-loop in a non fast-path code
>> within the kernel?
>
> When there is a way to do something already, we don't add "yet anothe=
r"
> way to do it. =C2=A0The kernel already suffers from API masterbation =
as-is.
>

Ok, what if, i) ifindex =3D=3D 0 in the call to SIOCGIFINDEX or ii) if =
the
ifindex is not found ? May be then in the else clause we could search
using the hw-addr before bailing out ;)? This way we can avoid adding
a new API. Still not a good idea?