Re: [PATCH v8 net-next 2/2] net: filter: split filter.h and expose eBPF to user space

On 08/27/2014 10:37 PM, Alexei Starovoitov wrote:

allow user space to generate eBPF programs

uapi/linux/bpf.h: eBPF instruction set definition

linux/filter.h: the rest

Very sorry for being late, but just a thought since we're touching user
space headers anyway ...

Wouldn't it be more consistent to have it organized as follows ...

  - uapi/linux/bpf.h    : classic BPF instruction set parts only
  - uapi/linux/ebpf.h   : eBPF instruction set definition (which also
                          includes uapi/linux/bpf.h though)
... and have ...

  - uapi/linux/filter.h : just include uapi/linux/bpf.h but rest is empty

That way, it would be more consistent ...

Old legacy application can stay with linux/filter.h; new applications
based on their needs can choose between linux/{e,}bpf.h and in the kernel,
we can just include linux/ebpf.h.

Right now, it seems, an eBPF user space program would need to include
2 header files in user space (linux/filter.h, linux/bpf.h) which I find
a bit confusing.

If you want, I could also take care of that later, but just thinking out
loudly ...

This patch only moves macro definitions, but practically it freezes existing
eBPF instruction set, though new instructions can still be added in the future.

These eBPF definitions cannot go into uapi/linux/filter.h, since the names
may conflict with existing applications.

Full eBPF ISA description is in Documentation/networking/filter.txt

Signed-off-by: Alexei Starovoitov <redacted>