Re: [RFC] Wine speedup through kernel module

From: Alexander Viro (viro@math.psu.edu)
Date: Mon Sep 25 2000 - 17:37:45 EST


On Mon, 25 Sep 2000, Albert D. Cahalan wrote:

> If you'd like to live without all /proc-using tools, much of /sbin,
> the X server, inetd, anything that uses sendfile(), and anything
> that uses RT-signals for IO events... go right ahead. You can give
> up on VFS enhancements too, since anything using them wouldn't be
> portable to AIX, Ultrix, or OpenServer.
>
> Partial list of non-portable system calls for you to abstain from:
>
> mkdir have fun, because this isn't portable

Non-portable to _what_? v2?

> sigaction you know what to do...

I can live with that. Supported by quite a few Unices.

> setreuid

Encapsulate unless you want a major PITA maintaining the code.

> symlink you can use the v7 filesystem too

Same as with sigaction, even wider support.

> iopl obvious

_Yes_. It's non-portable within Linux, ferchrissake. And yes,
hardware-related work should be localized.

> clone

Can be implemented via rfork(), so that gives *BSD and Plan 9.

> setfsuid didn't Ted come up with this one?

And you advocate using it? Wow.

> poll can't use select either

Both are remarkably ugly. Yes, it's one of the cases when you may need
your own functions encapsulating that mess.

> prctl comes from IRIX, not v7

And is ugly as hell, as damn next to everything coming from SGI.

> pread SysV, isn't it? Must be bad!

I'm yet to see where it is necessary. For all practical purposes can be
emulated by lseek()+read()+lseek() and you'ld better provide such
emulation anyway if you want to have the thing portable.

> sendfile just some benchmark hack

Bingo. Can be implemented via primitives, though.
 
> SCO has some UNIX source that might be more to your
> liking than Linux is.

Unlikely. GNU userland, as ugly as it is, is less obnoxious than
Missed'em'V one.

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Sep 30 2000 - 21:00:16 EST