[Bug 293978] [request] [sysctl] Please streamline sysctl names
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:22:04 UTC
https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=293978
Bug ID: 293978
Summary: [request] [sysctl] Please streamline sysctl names
Product: Base System
Version: Unspecified
Hardware: Any
OS: Any
Status: New
Severity: Affects Many People
Priority: ---
Component: kern
Assignee: bugs@FreeBSD.org
Reporter: walter.von.entferndt@posteo.net
A kind plea to our esteemed developers: please streamline sysctl names.
Do we need or want a DIN norm for this? Certainly not! When you create a new
sysctl, just stick to a name that similar others use.
OBSERVED: different names for the same type of information, e.g.
dev.cpu.0.freq_levels could be freq_available like others, e.g.
machdep.idle_available. There are some (many?) other discrepancies like this.
EXPECTED: similar types of information or configuration settings should have
similar names.
RATIONALE: We can not easily memorize dozens of different names for the same
type of information or configuration setting. When we don't use a term
regularly, it might be forgotten and be replaced by one that is used more
often. Providing streamlined names saves us the time to look up the forgotten
term.
Thx in advance!
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