Rather than offer three separate patches, they've been
consolidated in this single commit. All are related in
that they surfaced while preparing a subsequent patch.
------------------------------------------------------
library: correct a broken '#if define', <SLABINFO> api
It was introduced (embarrassingly) in the patch below.
Reference(s):
commit 97d078a9af
------------------------------------------------------
library: correct a broken 'GET' macro, <DISKSTATS> api
In the patch referenced below, which purported to make
all the 'GET' macros robust, the 'DISKSTATS_GET' macro
was broken. A necessary parameter wasn't passed to the
subsequently invoked function: procps_diskstats_get().
Reference(s):
commit bef8c7fb70
------------------------------------------------------
library: correct a broken 'sort' func, <DISKSTATS> api
In the commit shown below, an attempt to normalize the
errno handling, the sort function inadvertently lost 1
crucial line of code which produces a consistent SEGV.
Reference(s):
commit 06be33b43e
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
A lack of documentation seems to be the major obstacle
to releasing this new library. So, in an effort to get
the ball rolling again, this patch adds the origins of
each item as a comment to six of the new header files.
However, before reviewing how such changes may benefit
that documentation objective, it seemed appropriate to
first reflect on newlib's background & current status.
___________________________________________ BACKGROUND
Discussions about and work on a new library began back
in July 2012 but quickly died. After a lull of 2 years
those discussions were resumed in August 2014 but soon
died also (and no code survived the gitorious demise).
With those early discussions, the recommended approach
was to encapsulate all of the libprocps data offerings
in individual functions. When it came to extensibility
it was suggested we should rely on symbols versioning.
Unfortunately that approach would have made for a huge
Application Programming Interface virtually impossible
to master or even document. And, runtime call overhead
would have been substantial for ps and especially top.
So, an alternative design was sought but there were no
new suggestions/contributions via freelists or gitlab.
Thus, in spite of a lack of library design experience,
the procps-ng team (Craig & Jim) set out to develop an
alternative API, more concise and with lower overhead.
Reference(s):
. 07/01/2012, begin library design discussion
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/Old-library-calls
. 08/12/2014, revival of library design discussion
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/libprocs-redesign
_____________________________________ DESIGN EVOLUTION
Our newlib branch first appeared on June 14, 2015. And
our current API actually represents the 4th generation
during the past 3 years of evolution. First, there was
a basic 'new', 'get' and 'unref' approach, using enums
to minimize the proliferation of 'get' function calls.
Then, in anticipation of other programs like ps, where
multiple fields times multiple processes would greatly
increase the number of 'get' function calls, a concept
of 'chains' was introduced. This became generation #2.
Such 'chains' proved unnecessarily complex so 'stacks'
replaced them. This was considered the 3rd generation,
but too many implementation details were still exposed
requiring those users to 'alloc', 'read', 'fill', etc.
Finally, a 4th generation emerged representing several
refinements to standardize and minimize those exported
functions, thus hiding all implementation details from
the users. Lastly, handling of 'errno' was normalized.
Reference(s):
. 06/14/2015, revival of new API discussion
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/The-library-API-again
. 06/24/2015, birth of the newlib branch
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/new-library
. 06/29/2015, 2nd generation introduced 'chains'
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/new-library,8
. 07/22/2015, 3rd generation introduced 'stacks'
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/newlib-stacks-vs-chains
. 06/18/2016, 4th generation refinements begin
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/newlib-generation-35
. 11/10/2017, 4th generation standardized 'errno'
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/some-more-master-newlib-stuff
_______________________________________ CURRENT DESIGN
Central to this new design is a simple 'result' struct
reflecting an item plus its value (thanks to a union).
As a user option, these item structures can be grouped
into 'stacks', yielding many results with just 1 call.
Such a 'stack' can be seen as a variable length record
whose content/order is determined solely by the users.
Within that 'result' structure, the union has standard
C language types so there is never a doubt how a value
should be used in a printf statement. Given that linux
requires a least a 32-bit platform the only difference
in capacity surrounds 'long' integers. And, where such
types might be used, the 32-bit maximums are adequate.
The items themselves are simply enumerators defined in
the respective header files. A user can name any items
of interest then the library magically provides result
structure(s). The approach was proven to be extensible
without breaking the ABI (in commit referenced below).
The 6 major APIs each provide for the following calls:
. 'new' ---------> always required as the first call .
. 'ref' -------------------------> strictly optional .
. 'unref' --------> optional, if ill-behaved program .
. 'get' --------------------> retrieve a single item .
. 'select' ----------------> retrieve multiple items .
And the 'get' and 'select' functions provide for delta
results representing the difference between successive
get/select calls (or a 'new' then 'get/select' call).
For the <diskstats>, <pids>, <slabinfo> & <stat> APIs,
where results are unpredictable, a 'reap' function can
return multiple result structures for multiple stacks.
The <pids> API differs from others in that those items
of interest must be provided at 'new' or 'reset' time,
a function unique to this API. And the <pids> 'select'
function requires PIDs or UIDs which are to be fetched
which then operates as a subset of 'reap'. Lastly, the
'get' function is an iterator for successive PIDs/TIDs
returning items previously identified via 'new/reset'.
To provide assistance to users during development, the
special header 'proc/xtra-procps-debug.h' is available
to check type usage against library expectations. That
check is activated by including this header explicitly
or via build using: ./configure '-DXTRA_PROCPS_DEBUG'.
Reference(s):
. 08/05/2016, type validation introduced
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/newlib-types-validation
commit e3270d463d
. 08/11/2016, extensibility while preserving ABI example
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/new-meminfo-fields
commit 09e1886c9e
_________________________ INITIAL DOCUMENTATION EFFORT
The initial attempt, referenced below, dealt primarily
with the <pids> interface. Separate man pages for each
exported function were created. Plus there was another
document describing the items, among other miscellany.
Adopting such an approach encounters several problems:
1. In order to use these man pages, users are required
to already know how to use the library. Or alternately
one could randomly search each of them while trying to
ascertain which function call satisfies their need and
what exactly was the proper compliment/order required.
2. While we can explain what all of those <pids> items
represent, that certainly isn't true for all the APIs.
See the gaps in kernel documentation for <meminfo> and
complete lack of documentation with that <vmstat> API.
3. Our documentation effort should take pains to avoid
unnecessary implementation details. Here's an example:
. "The pointer to info will have memory"
. "allocated and a structure created."
Alternatively, the following conveys user requirements
while not offering any internal implementation detail:
. "You must provide the address of a NULL"
. "info structure pointer."
Reference(s):
. 01/04/2017, initial documentation offering
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/Using-reap-and-get
commit 2598e9f2ce
___________________ RECOMMENDED DOCUMENTATION APPROACH
I recommend that the newlib documentation consist of 3
man pages only. The first would cover the 5 major APIs
and their common functions. The second would deal with
the <pids> API exclusively, explaining how it differs.
Any remaining exported libproc functions which are yet
to be included could be represented in a 3rd document.
For these new documents the following are are assumed:
1. Since we will not be able to document all items, we
shouldn't try to document any items. We should instead
rely on proc(5) or Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt.
2. Program development often involves referencing some
header file(s). So, make that an absolute requirement.
3. With the addition of item origins, represented with
this commit, and considering that 'types' were already
present, the header file might be all some users need.
4. And who knows, when a user of our libproc complains
about gaps in their documentation, it might prompt the
kernel folks to correct those long standing omissions.
To summarize, I suggest that we replace that libproc.3
document with a more general one explaining the basics
of accessing this new library and the common calls for
most of the major interfaces. We can then create a new
document (libproc-pids.3?), which explains differences
in using the <PIDS> application programming interface.
A final document (libproc-misc.3?) covers what's left.
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
If we ever were to eliminate the procps.h header file,
as discussed in the thread referenced below, then that
would impair the current XTRA_PROCPS_DEBUG provisions.
The only remaining way to verify result types would be
to explicitly include that <proc/xtra-procps-debug.h>.
So, this commit will once again enable the ./configure
provision for defining the -DXTRA_PROCPS_DEBUG option.
Reference(s):
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/newlib-Qualys-patches,6
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
When 'newlib' was introduced, in the commit referenced
below, the use of that glibc '__BEGIN_DECLS' macro was
standardized. However, as issue #88 revealed, this may
result in a fatal build error with other environments.
So, this patch just trades that macro for the standard
'#ifdef __cplusplus' conventions (thus avoiding use of
all those '#include <features.h>' directives as well).
Reference(s):
. newlib introduced
commit a410e236ab
. procps-ng-3.3.13 issue
https://gitlab.com/procps-ng/procps/issues/88
. some additional discussion
https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/PATCH-Replace-glibcspecific-macros-in-procnumah,1
. musl wiki (see: sys/cdefs.h error messages)
https://wiki.musl-libc.org/faq.html
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
This commit just contains some tweaks to comments plus
a few adjustments to whitespace for alignment purposes
and a normalization of the header inclusion #define's.
[ plus a spelling error in one header file was fixed ]
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
When users call the native 'get' functions they have a
responsibility to check that the result struct address
was indeed returned. But when using those 'GET' macros
there was no protection for possible NULL dereference.
So this patch will add some protection for a potential
failure of an underlying 'get' function. And should it
occur then those 'GET' macros will just return a zero.
Plus, we'll also mirror that behavior in the debugging
header should the XTRA_PROCPS_DEBUG #define be active.
And, we might as well add a warning when invalid items
are passed to 'GET' macros, just like we do for 'VAL'.
[ lastly, we added the missing opening parens/braces ]
[ to 2 'GET' macros in that xtra-procps-debug.h file ]
[ which went unnoticed until the qa folks caught up. ]
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
This patch will set the stage for validating the types
referenced in the result union. For now, the parameter
representing that 'info' structure will remain unused.
[ and while we're at it, let us correct a faulty GET ]
[ macro in the diskstats header. that puppy missed a ]
[ parm which ain't so good if that guy is ever used! ]
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
Many of our item enumerator identifiers are very long,
especially in that <VMSTAT> module. Additionally, they
all contain the exact same universal 'PROCPS_' prefix.
The origins for this are likely found in the desire to
avoid name clashes with other potential include files.
But with procps-ng newlib, we've probably gone way too
far. Did 'PROCPS_PIDS_TICS_SYSTEM' actually offer more
protection against clash than 'PIDS_TICS_SYSTEM' does?
I don't think so. Besides, no matter how big that name
becomes, one can never guarantee they'll never be some
clash. And, conversely, extremely short names will not
always create conflict. Of course, in either case when
some clash occurs, one can always #undef that problem.
Thus, this commit will eliminate that 'PROCPS_' prefix
making all of those enum identifiers a little shorter.
And, we'll still be well above some ridiculously short
(criminally short) names found in some common headers:
- - - - - - - - - - <term.h>
- 'tab', 'TTY', etc
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <search.h>
- 'ENTER', ENTRY', 'FIND', etc
------------------------------------------------------
Finally, with this as a last of the wholesale changes,
we will have established the naming conventions below:
. only functions will begin with that 'procps_' prefix
. exposed structures begin with the module/header name
. item enumerators begin like structs, but capitalized
. other enumerators work exactly like item enumerators
. macros and constants begin just like the enumerators
------------------------------------------------------
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
This patch attempts to standardize the naming of those
most important (declared not defined) context structs.
The present practice represents a hodge podge of names
only some of which reflect the source /proc file name.
And 2 of those file names embed a literal 'info' which
is likely the origin of that required parm identifier.
Now we'll append a universal '_info' to such structure
names, while including the names of those /proc pseudo
files where possible. In any case, that context struct
will *always* begin with the actual module/header file
name. And only the following two sound a little weird!
---------> 'meminfo_info' + 'slabinfo_info' <---------
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
This patch will bring this interface up to our 3rd gen
standards. The following summarizes the major changes.
* New delta provisions have been added to most fields.
There are, of course, some fields for which a delta is
inappropriate. They include the identifying items such
as name, type, major and minor. Plus the io_inprogress
field which already acts, in effect, as a delta value.
* To provide delta support, dev_node historical values
have become persistent. By the same token, the library
must provide for future removal of disks/partitions. A
timestamp is used to detect 'stale' data which will be
deleted so as not to satisfy some get, select or reap.
* Such persistent support is provided by a linked list
which, by default, grows from the bottom down so as to
maintain compatibility with the /proc/diskstats order.
Initially, I was tempted to use the GNU tsearch (tree)
provisions until I discovered the overhead of building
that tree plus costs of a subsequent 'twalk'. Besides,
walking such a tree means retrieval order would differ
from an order required/expected by the vmstat program.
* The '/sys/block' directory is no longer scanned with
every refresh cycle. Rather, it's only accessed when a
node is first encountered. Then, that node's 'type' is
persistent for its lifetime like several other fields.
* A sort provision was included, at virtually no cost,
even though such a provision was not currently needed.
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
Where possible, libprocps files convey the name of the
actual source pseudo file under the '/proc' directory.
This brings diskstats into line with such an approach.
Signed-off-by: Jim Warner <james.warner@comcast.net>
