Messages in this thread |  | | | From | Alexander Clouter <> | | Subject | Re: [PATCH]exit.c: support larger exit code | | Date | Mon, 9 Aug 2010 09:25:49 +0100 |
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"Zhang, Wei-Jovi (NSN - CN/Hangzhou)" <wei-jovi.zhang@nsn.com> wrote: > > I think this is just a convention of userspace program. if program > want to obey this convention, it should be use one-byte limition exit > code, I agree this. so this mail thread's subject should change to "if > program use exit code with not want to obey the convention, kernel > should return which value?" > I do have to agree with you on this point, although I stand by my thoughts on *how* you should be using the exit code. Whilst writing my post I was thinking why in C is it 'int main()' and not 'u8 main()'.
A dig around with my Googlefu and on Wackipedia gave me nothing either...
One thing I can think of why the kernel is forcing a one byte return code is that: * guarantee there is no endian issue; hard to pull off though but I guess that exit code could travel across IP to another architecture * stop people abusing the exitcode :)
There is probably a deeper reason as errno.h/errno-base.h all seem to be one byte return codes too. I'm starting to ponder if that top three bytes are meant to carry some other information?
Cheers
-- Alexander Clouter .sigmonster says: Make sure your code does nothing gracefully.
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