Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sun, 20 Jun 2004 12:24:05 -0400 | From | Jeff Garzik <> | Subject | Re: Using kernel headers that are not for the running kernel |
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On Sat, Jun 19, 2004 at 05:46:50AM -0500, Rob Landley wrote: > The linux-kernel maintainers apparently decided that C libraries using kernel > headers to actually interface with the kernel was a bad idea. Apparently, > interfacing with the kernel from a C library is not a proper use for kernel > headers, or something. (I tried to follow the logic in this discussion, but > never actually found any, despite repeated attempts. It always seemed to > boil down to "can't be bothered", "userspace shouldn't use kernel headers and > this includes the C library", etc...)
No, the problem is that the only thing that needs to be shared are the _ABI_ headers, which are unfortunately mixed in with kernel-internal headers and definitions. This leads to use of kernel-internal definitions in userspace, which leads to breakage. This also leads to restrictions on changing -kernel-internal- headers, because some userspace wanker is complaining.
Kernel-internal headers and definitions should absolutely never be used in userspace.
H. Peter Anvin has suggested an include/abi which could be shared, and this seem quite reasonable to me. However, the monumental task of separating kernel-internal definitions from ABI definitions still remains.
Jeff, really glad the linux-libc-headers guys started his effort
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