Messages in this thread | | | From | Stefan Monnier <monnier+/news/lists/linux/> | Subject | Re: procfs problems | Date | 16 Apr 1997 14:35:57 -0400 |
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Evan Jeffrey <ejeffrey@eliot82.wustl.edu> writes: > > /proc -> /system/proc > > /dev/fd -> /system/fd > > /dev/scd0 -> /system/devices/scsi0/target6/lun0 > People are going to scream bloody murder about that. It breaks a lot of > stuff. OTOH, whatever we do to /proc is going to break some stuff.
Apart from the /proc/<nonsense> files, it doesn't break anything. And below, you claim that they are for human consumption, so it doesn't matter too much if you move them (it breaks humans, but that's OK).
Also it brings all the kernel-generated file-systems (currently /dev/fd and /proc but maybe later /devices) in a single hierarchy.
> Not binary! This is something I really do object to.
I know people love their good old text, ASCII if possible, so you can be sure it's only readable conveniently by humans who can understand english.
Why in the world is 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' better than 'bin2text /proc/cpuinfo' ? All that text-printing stuff has nothing to do in the kernel anyway.
> The whole point of /proc is to provide system/process info in a human > readable format.
I admit that I love command-lines, but do you really believe that the text-output of /proc files corresponds to current computer systems with 1600x1200x16bits screens (as far as I'm concerned) and current computer users who like Netscape more than trn to read their news ?
The user deserves much better. And better is possible by reading those files and processing the info into something pretty with bargraphs and whathaveyou, but this requires a program inbetween the user and the file, at which point the text-form is more of a hassle (in the kernel as well as in the program that has to parse it).
> I also think the complications of mixing text and binary in an intelligent > manner will cause either unnecissary complexity, or eliminate any advantages > as far as simplicity for userland programs.
What is the complication of mixing text and binary ? Where did you see that text and binary should be mixed in the /system/info files ?
Stefan
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