Re: [PATCH] locks: rename file-private locks to file-description locks

From: Jeff Layton
Date: Mon Apr 21 2014 - 14:33:30 EST


On Mon, 21 Apr 2014 20:18:50 +0200
"Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)" <mtk.manpages@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Jeff,
> On 04/21/2014 06:45 PM, Jeff Layton wrote:
> > On Mon, 21 Apr 2014 12:10:04 -0400
> > Rich Felker <dalias@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >> On Mon, Apr 21, 2014 at 04:23:54PM +0200, Michael Kerrisk (man-pages) wrote:
> >>> On 04/21/2014 04:02 PM, Rich Felker wrote:
> >>>> On Mon, Apr 21, 2014 at 09:45:35AM -0400, Jeff Layton wrote:
> [...]
> >>> initial preference, and I also suggested "file-description locks"
> >>> and noted the drawbacks of that term. I think it's insufficient
> >>> to say "stick with the existing poor name"--if you have
> >>> something better, then please propose it. (Note by the way
> >>> that for nearly a decade now, the open(2) man page has followed
> >>> POSIX in using the term "open file description. Full disclosure:
> >>> of course, I'm responsible for that change in the man page.)
> >>
> >> I'm well aware of that. The problem is that the proposed API is using
> >> the two-letter abbreviation FD, which ALWAYS means file descriptor and
> >> NEVER means file description (in existing usage) to mean file
> >> description. That's what's wrong.
> >>
> >
> > Fair enough. Assuming we kept "file-description locks" as a name, what
> > would you propose as new macro names?
>
> I assume you meant, "assume we kept the term 'file-private locks'..."
> In that case, at least make the constants something like
>
> F_FP_SETLK
> F_FP_SETLKW
> F_FP_GETLK
>
> so that they are not confused with the traditional constants.
>
> Cheer,
>

Actually no, I was asking how Rich would name the constants if we use
the name "file-description locks" (as per the patch I posted this
morning), since his objection was the use if *_FD_* names.

I would assume that if we stick with "file-private locks" as the name,
then we'll still change the constants to a form like *_FP_*.

Also, to be clear...Frank is correct that the name "file-private" came
from allowing the locks to be "private" to a particular open file
description. Though I agree that it's a crappy name at best...

--
Jeff Layton <jlayton@xxxxxxxxxx>
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