Subject: Re: Kernel config file
To: David Brownlee <abs@NetBSD.org>
From: Quentin Garnier <cube@cubidou.net>
List: tech-kern
Date: 06/18/2007 12:19:17
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On Mon, Jun 18, 2007 at 10:58:40AM +0100, David Brownlee wrote:
> On Mon, 18 Jun 2007, Quentin Garnier wrote:
>=20
> >On Mon, Jun 18, 2007 at 10:00:29AM +0200, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> >The point is not XML.  The point is using proplib, so you don't have to
> >rewrite a f/ing parser every time you add functionality or change the
> >syntax of the configuration.  XML is just a way of doing that, which is
> >well known and is used in a lot of other contexts.  But just any proplib
> >codec is fine.
> >
> >Rah, if people could think for a second before stopping as soon as they
> >see XML in mail.
> >
> >I don't like XML myself, but I see the value in using proplib to store
> >or pass data between subsystems.  If XML is the price to pay for that,
> >well, I find it a reasonable deal.  I don't mind people disagreeing on
> >that point, but what annoys me is people not seeing anything but XML in
> >proplib.
>=20
> 	The crucial question in this case is
>=20
> 	"Do we want to encode anything in this config file which
> 	 cannot be entered on the booting kernel command line?"
>=20
> 	If no, then the commandline parser can cover all.
> 	If yes, then we need another parser, in which case proplib is
> 	the standard way to address this.

Exactly.  Now we can discuss.

A non-exhaustive list of stuff we might want:

 - configure/unconfigure driver instances (should be handled by userconf)
 - pass parameters to subsystems (e.g., disable ipv6, ...  userconf too?)
 - pass all information boot -a makes the kernel ask for (this is not
   userconf currently)
 - pass information for NFS root
 - setup early IPFilter/PF rules, IPsec policies

--=20
Quentin Garnier - cube@cubidou.net - cube@NetBSD.org
"You could have made it, spitting out benchmarks
Owe it to yourself not to fail"
Amplifico, Spitting Out Benchmarks, Hometakes Vol. 2, 2005.

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