if i was porting a linux kernel module that wrote out to /proc, where should i point it at in freebsd?

[John Utz]

On Oct 12, 2006, at 8:59 AM, Bruno Ducrot wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 11, 2006 at 01:01:17PM -0400, john at utzweb.net wrote:
>>> John Utz wrote:
>>>> i've been working on i8k utils off and on for several months.
>>>>
>>>> (lately it's been what i've been doing whilst i sit at my  
>>>> daughter's
>>>> gymnastics class)
>>>>
>>>> so several of the api's work, ie turning the fans on and off, etc.
>>>>
>>>> buttons *still* dont work. :-(
>>>>
>>>> at this point, i want to start working on hXRing the kernel module.
>>>>
>>>> as currently coded, it writes to /proc.
>>>>
>>>> i would prefer to not have to require the proc lkm for this to  
>>>> work, i'd
>>>> rather do it the bsd way.
>>>>
>>>> so, umm, what *is* the bsd way ? :-)
>>>
>>> It looks like "i8k" is the Dell hotkeys/PM driver.
>>
>> yah, i forgot to mention that. sorry.
>>
>>>  Use sysctl as the interface.
>>
>> hokydoky!
>>
>>> See the other drivers in /sys/dev/acpi_support for a good
>>> template (i.e., acpi_toshiba.c).
>>
>> i shall look again at that, tnx!
>>
>
>
> Well... Read carrefully:
> http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-chat/2006-October/ 
> 004315.html
>

gyahh!


> if you want your driver to be added to the tree..
>

wow. this is a very interesting grey area, because i have made some
very trivial formatting changes to said function.

so were i to contribute the code, it would not violate the 'law' of gpl
(because the code is textually different now) but i think it would
  violate the 'spirit' and that counts for just as much in my book.

> Maybe you should consider to write a port, that's should resolve the
> legal issue.

that's an interesting idea.

it might also be a reasonable exercise to genuinely rearchitect the asm
and use a rewritten version; recall that 'study' is a blessed use of  
gpl code.

but, let's be clear, the political issues are irrelevant until i have  
something
that works in a meaningful way.

  right now all i can do is call a crappy little command line utility  
that
  requires me to know the adressess to poke into eax. :-)

in any case, Bruno, i am *deeply* appreciative of you taking the time to
  point this out!

>
> -- 
> Bruno Ducrot
>
> --  Which is worse:  ignorance or apathy?
> --  Don't know.  Don't care.
>