[RFC] Update/kill Documentation/sysctl/* docs?

From: Diego Calleja
Date: Mon May 08 2006 - 19:02:31 EST


In http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=6145 you asked to update
the sysctl docs. I've updated them and added/deleted the neccesary
stuff (except the ones that I don't know what on earth are they doing
because they're not...documented). However it looks like there's
duplication - Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt seems to document all
that aswell (but in a single doc, which makes it a bit unreadable
for such big document, IMO)

What should be the best step? Kill Documentation/sysctl/ and keep
filesystems/proc.txt updated and maybe split it in several files
to make it more readable? Update it but maintain in sync with
filesystems/proc.txt? delete proc.txt and keep sysctl/ updated...?


--- temp/Documentation/sysctl/fs.txt.old 2006-05-09 00:34:32.000000000 +0200
+++ temp/Documentation/sysctl/fs.txt 2006-05-09 00:09:03.000000000 +0200
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Documentation for /proc/sys/fs/* kernel version 2.2.10
+Documentation for /proc/sys/fs/*
(c) 1998, 1999, Rik van Riel <riel@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

For general info and legal blurb, please look in README.
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
==============================================================

This file contains documentation for the sysctl files in
-/proc/sys/fs/ and is valid for Linux kernel version 2.2.
+/proc/sys/fs/

The files in this directory can be used to tune and monitor
miscellaneous and general things in the operation of the Linux
@@ -15,21 +15,29 @@
before actually making adjustments.

Currently, these files are in /proc/sys/fs:
+- aio-max-nr
+- aio-nr
+- binfmt_misc/ ==> see Documentation/binfmt_misc.txt
- dentry-state
- dquot-max
- dquot-nr
+- dir-notify-enable
- file-max
- file-nr
-- inode-max
- inode-nr
- inode-state
+- inotify/ ==> See Documentation/filesystem/inotify.txt
- overflowuid
- overflowgid
-- super-max
-- super-nr
+- suid_dumpable

-Documentation for the files in /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc is
-in Documentation/binfmt_misc.txt.
+==============================================================
+
+aio-nr & aio-max-nr:
+
+aio-nr shows the current system-wide number of asynchronous io
+requests. aio-max-nr allows you to change the maximum value
+aio-nr can grow to.

==============================================================

@@ -71,6 +79,21 @@

==============================================================

+dir-notify-enable:
+
+This file controls dnotify, a directory notification mechanism,
+and will not appear if dnotify support is compiled out. It was
+introduced with inotify (see Documentation/filesystems/inotify.txt)
+in case some people want to disable dnotify support at runtime.
+There're two possible values:
+
+1 - dnotify is enabled (default)
+0 - dnotify is disabled
+
+For more information about dnotify, see Documentation/dnotify.txt
+
+==============================================================
+
file-max & file-nr:

The kernel allocates file handles dynamically, but as yet it
@@ -90,17 +113,11 @@

==============================================================

-inode-max, inode-nr & inode-state:
+inode-nr & inode-state:

As with file handles, the kernel allocates the inode structures
dynamically, but can't free them yet.

-The value in inode-max denotes the maximum number of inode
-handlers. This value should be 3-4 times larger than the value
-in file-max, since stdin, stdout and network sockets also
-need an inode struct to handle them. When you regularly run
-out of inodes, you need to increase this value.
-
The file inode-nr contains the first two items from
inode-state, so we'll skip to that file...

@@ -131,20 +148,21 @@

==============================================================

-super-max & super-nr:
-
-These numbers control the maximum number of superblocks, and
-thus the maximum number of mounted filesystems the kernel
-can have. You only need to increase super-max if you need to
-mount more filesystems than the current value in super-max
-allows you to.
-
-==============================================================
+suid_dumpable:

-aio-nr & aio-max-nr:
+This value can be used to query and set the core dump mode for setuid
+or otherwise protected/tainted binaries. The modes are

-aio-nr shows the current system-wide number of asynchronous io
-requests. aio-max-nr allows you to change the maximum value
-aio-nr can grow to.
+0 - (default) - traditional behaviour. Any process which has changed
+ privilege levels or is execute only will not be dumped
+1 - (debug) - all processes dump core when possible. The core dump is
+ owned by the current user and no security is applied. This is
+ intended for system debugging situations only. Ptrace is unchecked.
+2 - (suidsafe) - any binary which normally would not be dumped is dumped
+ readable by root only. This allows the end user to remove
+ such a dump but not access it directly. For security reasons
+ core dumps in this mode will not overwrite one another or
+ other files. This mode is appropriate when adminstrators are
+ attempting to debug problems in a normal environment.

==============================================================

--- temp/Documentation/sysctl/kernel.txt.old 2006-05-09 00:34:39.000000000 +0200
+++ temp/Documentation/sysctl/kernel.txt 2006-05-09 00:24:15.000000000 +0200
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Documentation for /proc/sys/kernel/* kernel version 2.2.10
+Documentation for /proc/sys/kernel/*
(c) 1998, 1999, Rik van Riel <riel@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

For general info and legal blurb, please look in README.
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
==============================================================

This file contains documentation for the sysctl files in
-/proc/sys/kernel/ and is valid for Linux kernel version 2.2.
+/proc/sys/kernel/

The files in this directory can be used to tune and monitor
miscellaneous and general things in the operation of the Linux
@@ -18,42 +18,47 @@
show up in /proc/sys/kernel:
- acpi_video_flags
- acct
+- bootloader_type
+- cad_pid
+- cap-bound
- core_pattern
- core_uses_pid
- ctrl-alt-del
-- dentry-state
- domainname
- hostname
- hotplug
-- java-appletviewer [ binfmt_java, obsolete ]
-- java-interpreter [ binfmt_java, obsolete ]
- l2cr [ PPC only ]
- modprobe ==> Documentation/kmod.txt
- msgmax
- msgmnb
- msgmni
+- ngroups_max
- osrelease
- ostype
- overflowgid
- overflowuid
- panic
+- panic_on_oops
- pid_max
- powersave-nap [ PPC only ]
- printk
+- printk_ratelimit
+- printk_ratelimit_burst
+- pty/ ==> TODO
+- random ==> TODO
+- randomize_va_space
- real-root-dev ==> Documentation/initrd.txt
- reboot-cmd [ SPARC only ]
-- rtsig-max
-- rtsig-nr
- sem
- sg-big-buff [ generic SCSI device (sg) ]
- shmall
- shmmax [ sysv ipc ]
- shmmni
- stop-a [ SPARC only ]
-- suid_dumpable
- sysrq ==> Documentation/sysrq.txt
- tainted
- threads-max
+- unknown_nmi_panic
- version

==============================================================
@@ -84,6 +89,24 @@

==============================================================

+bootloader_type:
+
+TODO
+
+==============================================================
+
+cad_pid:
+
+TODO
+
+==============================================================
+
+cap-bound:
+
+TODO
+
+==============================================================
+
core_pattern:

core_pattern is used to specify a core dumpfile pattern name.
@@ -168,6 +191,12 @@

==============================================================

+ngroups_max:
+
+TODO
+
+==============================================================
+
osrelease, ostype & version:

# cat osrelease
@@ -271,6 +300,12 @@

==============================================================

+randomize_va_space:
+
+TODO
+
+==============================================================
+
reboot-cmd: (Sparc only)

??? This seems to be a way to give an argument to the Sparc
@@ -311,25 +346,6 @@

==============================================================

-suid_dumpable:
-
-This value can be used to query and set the core dump mode for setuid
-or otherwise protected/tainted binaries. The modes are
-
-0 - (default) - traditional behaviour. Any process which has changed
- privilege levels or is execute only will not be dumped
-1 - (debug) - all processes dump core when possible. The core dump is
- owned by the current user and no security is applied. This is
- intended for system debugging situations only. Ptrace is unchecked.
-2 - (suidsafe) - any binary which normally would not be dumped is dumped
- readable by root only. This allows the end user to remove
- such a dump but not access it directly. For security reasons
- core dumps in this mode will not overwrite one another or
- other files. This mode is appropriate when adminstrators are
- attempting to debug problems in a normal environment.
-
-==============================================================
-
tainted:

Non-zero if the kernel has been tainted. Numeric values, which
@@ -342,3 +358,10 @@
Set by modutils >= 2.4.9 and module-init-tools.
4 - Unsafe SMP processors: SMP with CPUs not designed for SMP.

+==============================================================
+
+unknown_nmi_panic:
+
+TODO
+
+==============================================================
-
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