Re: PID sequences

George Kyriazis (kyriazis@hollow.net)
Wed, 25 Feb 1998 23:41:46 -0800 (PST)

> If we use random PIDs in Linux, could we please make it a config option.
>
> No, let's not.
>
> If we do that, we might as well make /dev/random a config. time option or a
> module. By making various things compulsory, hopefully fewer people will
> fall into some common programming pitfalls, and when people write code for
> linux they can make assumptions that all sorts of good things are there.
> Random PIDs is IMO a Good Thing(tm) if done properly.
>

Sorry for the dumb question, but what's the advantage of random PIDs?

Personally, I like sequential PIDs, since just by looking at the PID number
I know (ballpark figure) how many processes have run between process A
and B.. (ie. I know if I have to optimize my shell script or not).

To me, sequential PIDs can be treated as random, but with an really bad,
but cheap, generator algorithm.

So, what's the issue, really?

--george

-- 
George Kyriazis  kyriazis@hollow.net
	Kia orana, comrades!


-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu