[linux-dvb] Re: filesystem based API

[Johannes Stezenbach <js@convergence.de>]

Franck Arnaud wrote:
> 
> As you mention, it remembers me about an article that said 
> that a long term goal for Linux would be to be able to configure 
> stuff through small devices, rather than /proc if I recall 
> correctly, for configuration. That is you'd do:
> 
> echo 12211000 > /dev/dvb0/frontend/frequency
> echo H > /dev/dvb0/frontend/polarity
> echo 22000000 /dev/dvb0/frontend/symbolrate
> 
> etc. 'cat' the same to see an ASCII version of the current 
> state. Then bingo, easy debugging from an ordinary shell, 
> instant bindings for any scripting or otherwise language, 
> complete removal of the C API, and no nasty ioctl (which 
> is one of the great uglyness of Unix) anymore.
> 
> I don't know if this is something already started in 2.5 or 
> just a mere proposal which is floating around. If there's no 
> infrastructure already  in there, it would arguably not be 
> wise to do it alone in DVB. It does require devfs or some 
> equivalent of course, and I suspect old style devices may 
> still be supported in 2.5.

There's sysfs (or whatever it's called currently), which goes
in that direction. But I don't think it will replace ioctl()
any time soon. AFAIK it is meant as a replacement for
sysctls (/proc/sys/... or sysctl(2)) which are for
system (i.e. kernel or driver) parameters for which no other
API exits (e.g. due to the lack of devices which you could open).

Regards,
Johannes


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