Subject: Re: new sysctl - "machdep.cpu_isa"
To: Simon Burge <simonb@netbsd.org>
From: Ignatios Souvatzis <ignatios@cs.uni-bonn.de>
List: port-mips
Date: 10/21/1999 10:57:30
On Thu, Oct 21, 1999 at 12:14:43AM +1000, Simon Burge wrote:
> I'd like to add a new sysctl called "machdep.cpu_isa" which returns
> the kernel CPU ISA to userland as a numeric value.  Also, is this the
> best name for this sysctl? the kernel uses cpu_arch for this value, but
> cpu_isa seems like a more MIPSish name.  Something else to consider
> is exporting cpu_name via a sysctl to userland as well...

I'm no modern MIPS expert, so I don't understand what you're talking
about, but...

this sounds to me like you want to publish to Userland the exact CPU model,
using a CPU family define encoding?

I see no wrong in the idea per se (I'd like this for m68k, too), but I
suggest to use an architecture independent name. 

If we don't choose a globally unique namespace, it should probably still stay
in machdep.

Maybe this should be discussed in tech-userlevel?

Regards,
	-is

-- 
 * Progress (n.): The process through which Usenet has evolved from
   smart people in front of dumb terminals to dumb people in front of
   smart terminals.  -- obs@burnout.demon.co.uk (obscurity)