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@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
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+
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+Except for a few extremely rare exceptions user space applications do not use
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+the binary sysctl interface. Instead everyone uses /proc/sys/... with
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+readable ascii names.
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+
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+Recently the kernel has started supporting setting the binary sysctl value to
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+CTL_UNNUMBERED so we no longer need to assign a binary sysctl path to allow
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+sysctls to show up in /proc/sys.
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+
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+Assigning binary sysctl numbers is an endless source of conflicts in sysctl.h,
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+breaking of the user space ABI (because of those conflicts), and maintenance
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+problems. A complete pass through all of the sysctl users revealed multiple
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+instances where the sysctl binary interface was broken and had gone undetected
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+for years.
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+
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+So please do not add new binary sysctl numbers. They are unneeded and
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+problematic.
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+
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+If you really need a new binary sysctl number please first merge your sysctl
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+into the kernel and then as a separate patch allocate a binary sysctl number.
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+
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+(ebiederm@xmission.com, June 2007)
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