Highlights:
o Unified boot/module parameters, with type checking.
Using PARAM(xxx, type, perms) and family.
o Simpler in-kernel module loading
insmod can now be written in ~20 lines.
o Nicer internal module interface
request_module("%s", foo)
request_module_start/stop wrappers
module_get()/module_put(), symbol_get()/symbol_put()
o Warm fuzzy bleeding edge feel
Todo:
(1) Incorporate non-ppc architectures (x86, sparc, sparc64,
ppc64 already written, not in patch).
(2) Convert parts of the kernel *I* don't use.
(3) Use kbuild 2.5, so in-kernel params don't all get called
"unknown.xxx".
(4) Update documentation.
(5) CONFIG_MODVERSIONS replacement and check for kernel version.
(6) Patch in proc/sys, so param entries can appear there
(this is what the final arg to PARAM is for).
(7) Write more sophisticated modprobe:
o /etc/modules.conf
o Fallback to old modutils if old system.
o --force to override MODVERSIONS and kernel version.
o Save parameters from /proc on unloading.
(8) rmmod should not remove if busy (unless rmmod -f).
(9) Convert everyone to new safe module insert usage.
Get it from:
http://netfilter.samba.org/diary/module-init-patch-001.bz2
http://netfilter.filewatcher.org/diary/module-init-patch-001.bz2
http://netfilter.gnumonks.org/diary/module-init-patch-001.bz2
(46885 bytes)
And v. v. simple insmod/rmmod/modprobe from:
http://netfilter.samba.org/diary/module-init-tools-001.bz2
http://netfilter.filewatcher.org/diary/module-init-tools-001.bz2
http://netfilter.gnumonks.org/diary/module-init-tools-001.bz2
(33181 bytes)
HACKERS QUICKREF:
OLD: int parse_foo(char *s) { ... return 1; }
__setup("foo=", parse_foo);
NEW: int parse_foo(char *s, struct kernel_param *kp) { ... return 0; }
PARAM_CALL(foo, parse_foo, NULL);
COMMENTS:
This will match "foo=" only. kb->name == "foo", kp->arg ==
third arg of PARAM_CALL.
OLD: MODULE_PARM("foo", &foo, "i")
NEW: PARAM(foo, int, S_IRUGO);
COMMENTS:
foo must be in scope (and in this case, of type int) or the
compiler will catch it.
S_IRUGO means that it will be accessible through proc (use 000
if this is not useful, or maybe S_IWUSR if root can change it
at any time).
Use PARAM_NAMED to give a different name, PARAM_ARRAY for array.
OLD: inter_module_*
NEW: EXPORT_SYMBOL, symbol_get(foo) & symbol_put(foo)
COMMENTS:
These are now typesafe, so foo declaration must be in scope.
OLD: if (foo->owner) __MOD_INC_USE_COUNT(foo->owner);
NEW: module_get(foo->owner);
OLD: module_init(initfn)
NEW: init_and_startcall(initfn, startfn);
COMMENTS:
Please use a semicolon at the end. Modulable code should
transition to a two-stage init (initfn sets everything up
and may fail, and startfn which exposes the module to the rest
of the kernel and can't fail). Some modules only need
initfn or startfn, in which case use initcall() or startcall().
OLD: if (try_inc_mod_count(foo->owner))
NEW: module_get(foo->owner)
OLD: int initfn(void) { ...; return 0; }
module_init(initfn)
NEW: void initfn(void) { ...; }
bootcall(initfn);
COMMENTS:
This is for code which can never be a module: we ignore the
return value anyway, so why have one (panic() if you must).
OLD: void exitfn(void) { ...; }
module_exit(void)
NEW: int stopfn(void) { ...; return 0; }
void exitfn(void) { ...; }
stopcall(stopfn);
exitcall(exitfn);
COMMENTS:
If there are neither, then module is not unloadable. This is
perfectly OK. If stopfn returns 0 (otherwise it should be
-errno) it must have deregistered itself from the rest of the
kernel (ie. module count can never increase again), but still
be usable to anyone using it currently. Once exitfn is
called, it is guaranteed to be unused.
Enjoy!
Rusty.
-- Premature optmztion is rt of all evl. --DK - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Sep 23 2001 - 21:00:53 EST