Global variables in system programs

[Sebastian Huber]

Hello,

I work currently on a port of the FreeBSD network stack to a real-time 
operating system for embedded targets.  Here the applications are statically 
linked with the operating system and the network stack.  We would like to use 
the standard FreeBSD system programs to configure the network stack, e.g. 
ROUTE(8), IFCONFIG(8), etc.  For example

static const char *const argv[] = {
   "ifconfig",
   "lo0",
   "127.0.0.1"
};

ifconfig(3, &argv[0]);

These programs use some global variables.  In a statically linked context we 
have now the following problems

o we cannot call the programs concurrently,

o we have to initialize the values each time.

We would like to follow the FreeBSD sources to stay up-to-date.  So it is 
desirable for us to keep the divergence from the original sources as small as 
possible.  Are patches acceptable for the FreeBSD project that alter system 
programs such that

o global variables are moved into context structures,

o constant global variables are declared as "const", and

o variables and functions are declared as "static" if possible?

Attached is a patch for the ROUTE(8) program to give an example.

-- 
Sebastian Huber, embedded brains GmbH

Address : Dornierstr. 4, D-82178 Puchheim, Germany
Phone   : +49 89 189 47 41-16
Fax     : +49 89 189 47 41-09
E-Mail  : sebastian.huber at embedded-brains.de
PGP     : Public key available on request.

Diese Nachricht ist keine geschäftliche Mitteilung im Sinne des EHUG.
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