sysfsutils, aka systool, candidate for inclusion in util-linux-ng

sysfsutils, aka systool, candidate for inclusion in util-linux-ng

[Xose Vazquez Perez]

Hi,

Description: utilities for interfacing with sysfs.

Background: unmaintained since ten years, included in
enterprise distributions and widely used with plenty of
downloads: https://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/stats/timeline?dates=2003-07-01++to+2017-03-17


$HOME: https://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html
Source code: https://sf.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/


Thank you.

Re: sysfsutils, aka systool, candidate for inclusion in util-linux-ng

[Sami Kerola]

On 17 March 2017 at 17:47, Xose Vazquez Perez <xose.vazquez@gmail.com> wrote:
> Description: utilities for interfacing with sysfs.
>
> Background: unmaintained since ten years, included in
> enterprise distributions and widely used with plenty of
> downloads: https://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/stats/timeline?dates=2003-07-01++to+2017-03-17
>
>
> $HOME: https://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html
> Source code: https://sf.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/

Good proposal, and after quick test to migrate sysfsutils to
util-linux this seems
do-able. But before proceeding any further I want to hear from Karel and old
sysfsutils maintainer if the project merge what is wanted.

  git://github.com/kerolasa/lelux-utiliteetit.git sysfsutils

If yes next steps:

1. polish libsysfs, add for example .sym file
2. polish systool, add translations, and other standard util-linux
conventions, such as atexit hook, xmalloc usage, and so on
3. figure out what should be done with dlist_test, get_device,
get_driver, and get_module
4. add tests, and make _PART_SYS_SYSTEM stuff work
5. without a doubt something other as well
6. send a pull month or two later

-- 
Sami Kerola
http://www.iki.fi/kerolasa/

Re: sysfsutils, aka systool, candidate for inclusion in util-linux-ng

[Xose Vazquez Perez]

On 03/18/2017 08:41 PM, Sami Kerola wrote:

> On 17 March 2017 at 17:47, Xose Vazquez Perez <xose.vazquez@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Description: utilities for interfacing with sysfs.
>>
>> Background: unmaintained since ten years, included in
>> enterprise distributions and widely used with plenty of
>> downloads: https://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/stats/timeline?dates=2003-07-01++to+2017-03-17
>>
>>
>> $HOME: https://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html  <--- HTTPS broken!!
>> $HOME: http://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html
>> Source code: https://sf.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/
> 
> Good proposal, and after quick test to migrate sysfsutils to
> util-linux this seems
> do-able. But before proceeding any further I want to hear from Karel and old
> sysfsutils maintainer if the project merge what is wanted.
> 
>   git://github.com/kerolasa/lelux-utiliteetit.git sysfsutils
> 
> If yes next steps:
> 
> 1. polish libsysfs, add for example .sym file
> 2. polish systool, add translations, and other standard util-linux
> conventions, such as atexit hook, xmalloc usage, and so on
> 3. figure out what should be done with dlist_test, get_device,
> get_driver, and get_module
> 4. add tests, and make _PART_SYS_SYSTEM stuff work
> 5. without a doubt something other as well
> 6. send a pull month or two later

Cced the rest of the sysfsutils crew.

Re: sysfsutils, aka systool, candidate for inclusion in util-linux-ng

[Daniel Stekloff]

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Thank you for contacting me even though I haven't worked with sysfsutils
for a very long time. I'm honestly a little surprised it is still used.

I think the proposal is good. Please let me know if you need my assistance
with anything.


On Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 12:58 PM, Xose Vazquez Perez <xose.vazquez@gmail.com
> wrote:

> On 03/18/2017 08:41 PM, Sami Kerola wrote:
>
> > On 17 March 2017 at 17:47, Xose Vazquez Perez <xose.vazquez@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> Description: utilities for interfacing with sysfs.
> >>
> >> Background: unmaintained since ten years, included in
> >> enterprise distributions and widely used with plenty of
> >> downloads: https://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-diag/files/
> sysfsutils/stats/timeline?dates=2003-07-01++to+2017-03-17
> >>
> >>
> >> $HOME: https://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html  <--- HTTPS broken!!
> >> $HOME: http://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html
> >> Source code: https://sf.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/
> >
> > Good proposal, and after quick test to migrate sysfsutils to
> > util-linux this seems
> > do-able. But before proceeding any further I want to hear from Karel and
> old
> > sysfsutils maintainer if the project merge what is wanted.
> >
> >   git://github.com/kerolasa/lelux-utiliteetit.git sysfsutils
> >
> > If yes next steps:
> >
> > 1. polish libsysfs, add for example .sym file
> > 2. polish systool, add translations, and other standard util-linux
> > conventions, such as atexit hook, xmalloc usage, and so on
> > 3. figure out what should be done with dlist_test, get_device,
> > get_driver, and get_module
> > 4. add tests, and make _PART_SYS_SYSTEM stuff work
> > 5. without a doubt something other as well
> > 6. send a pull month or two later
>
> Cced the rest of the sysfsutils crew.
>

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Re: sysfsutils, aka systool, candidate for inclusion in util-linux-ng

[Ananth N Mavinakayanahalli]

On Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 08:58:41PM +0100, Xose Vazquez Perez wrote:
> On 03/18/2017 08:41 PM, Sami Kerola wrote:
> 
> > On 17 March 2017 at 17:47, Xose Vazquez Perez <xose.vazquez@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Description: utilities for interfacing with sysfs.
> >>
> >> Background: unmaintained since ten years, included in
> >> enterprise distributions and widely used with plenty of
> >> downloads: https://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/stats/timeline?dates=2003-07-01++to+2017-03-17
> >>
> >>
> >> $HOME: https://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html  <--- HTTPS broken!!
> >> $HOME: http://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html
> >> Source code: https://sf.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/
> > 
> > Good proposal, and after quick test to migrate sysfsutils to
> > util-linux this seems
> > do-able. But before proceeding any further I want to hear from Karel and old
> > sysfsutils maintainer if the project merge what is wanted.
> > 
> >   git://github.com/kerolasa/lelux-utiliteetit.git sysfsutils
> > 
> > If yes next steps:
> > 
> > 1. polish libsysfs, add for example .sym file
> > 2. polish systool, add translations, and other standard util-linux
> > conventions, such as atexit hook, xmalloc usage, and so on
> > 3. figure out what should be done with dlist_test, get_device,
> > get_driver, and get_module
> > 4. add tests, and make _PART_SYS_SYSTEM stuff work
> > 5. without a doubt something other as well
> > 6. send a pull month or two later
> 
> Cced the rest of the sysfsutils crew.

While I wrote large parts of the code about 13/14 years ago, I haven't
worked on it for over a decade. If it is being used as is, that's good
to know. Let me know if anything specific is needed from my end.

Regards,
Ananth

Re: sysfsutils, aka systool, candidate for inclusion in util-linux-ng

[Karel Zak]

On Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 07:41:53PM +0000, Sami Kerola wrote:
> On 17 March 2017 at 17:47, Xose Vazquez Perez <xose.vazquez@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Description: utilities for interfacing with sysfs.
> >
> > Background: unmaintained since ten years, included in
> > enterprise distributions and widely used with plenty of
> > downloads: https://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/stats/timeline?dates=2003-07-01++to+2017-03-17
> >
> >
> > $HOME: https://linux-diag.sf.net/Sysfsutils.html
> > Source code: https://sf.net/projects/linux-diag/files/sysfsutils/
> 
> Good proposal, and after quick test to migrate sysfsutils to
> util-linux this seems
> do-able. But before proceeding any further I want to hear from Karel and old
> sysfsutils maintainer if the project merge what is wanted.

The question is if maintain it again is the right reaction to the
current agony. Maybe death is better solution.

I don't think it's widely used and IMHO it's probably used for trivial
things like write/read from sysfs.

For example we have for work with /sys/block a file lib/sysfs.c in
utils-linux. Not sure if for something like this is necessary to have
shared library.

    Karel

-- 
 Karel Zak  <kzak@redhat.com>
 http://karelzak.blogspot.com

Re: sysfsutils, aka systool, candidate for inclusion in util-linux-ng

[Sami Kerola]

On 21 March 2017 at 12:14, Karel Zak <kzak@redhat.com> wrote:
> The question is if maintain it again is the right reaction to the
> current agony. Maybe death is better solution.
>
> I don't think it's widely used and IMHO it's probably used for trivial
> things like write/read from sysfs.
>
> For example we have for work with /sys/block a file lib/sysfs.c in
> utils-linux. Not sure if for something like this is necessary to have
> shared library.

I did a little bit more research what sysfsutils provides and who are
using it. 'Do not use libsysfs' in kernel documentation[1] is pretty
convincing hint this library should be left to be in state it is. Secondly
the list of projects I was able to find[2] had either migrated away
from the libsysfs or died.

I was able to find one exception,  iputils arping command. I sent
change to iputils maintainer that will remove libsysfs stuff moment
ago, so lets hope that will be sorted in future release.

TL;DR. not including sysfsutils to util-linux is the right thing.

[1] https://raw.githubusercontent.com/torvalds/linux/master/Documentation/admin-guide/sysfs-rules.rst
[2] https://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/i686/sysfsutils/

-- 
Sami Kerola
http://www.iki.fi/kerolasa/