Messages in this thread |  | | | Date | Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:37:26 -0700 | | From | Chris Wright <> | | Subject | Re: [PATCH 0/3] exporting capability name/code pairs (for 2.6.26) | |
* KaiGai Kohei (kaigai@ak.jp.nec.com) wrote:
> [PATCH 2/3] exporting capability name/code pairs
>
> This patch enables to export code/name pairs of capabilities the running
> kernel supported.
>
> A newer kernel sometimes adds new capabilities, like CAP_MAC_ADMIN
> at 2.6.25. However, we have no interface to disclose what capabilities
> are supported on the running kernel. Thus, we have to maintain libcap
> version in appropriate one synchronously.
>
> This patch enables libcap to collect the list of capabilities at run time,
> and provide them for users. It helps to improve portability of library.
>
> It exports these information as regular files under /sys/kernel/capability.
> The numeric node exports its name, the symbolic node exports its code.
I do not understand why this is necessary. The capability bits are an ABI
that shouldn't change in a non-backward compat way (i.e. only additions).
We typically don't export strings <-> number conversions for constants.
I know you've explained this a few times before, but it still seems to me
like a userspace only problem. What can userspace do with a capability
it does not know about?
thanks,
-chris
|  |