Re: /proc/net/{udp,tcp}{,6} : ip address format : RFC : need for /proc/net/{udp,tcp}{,6}{{n,h},{le,be}} ?

RE: On 20 July 2021 at 23:41, Stephen Hemminger wrote:

quoted

So, yes what you say makes sense but that was not how the early
prehistoric (2.4 or earlier) versions of Linux decided to output addresses
and it can never change.

I don't like those words: "it can never change" !:-)

How about either or both Options B & C under sysfs then?

ie. something like /sys/class/net/{udp,tcp}{,6,n,h,ip,bin}
    6: ipv6
 [optionally:
  [ n: hex, network byte order
    h: hex, host byte order
   ip: ipv4 ascii dotted quad decimal IPv4 address with ':' <port>
       suffix, and decimal numbers         
   ip6:ipv6 ascii 32-bit hex words of IPv6 address separated by ':' (or
       '::') with '#' <port> suffix, with decimal numbers
  ] [and / or:
   bin:memory mapped read-only binary table
  ]]

I know ip route and netlink can be used. But since Linux is mandated to
print the IP socket and routing tables in ASCII, which I think is a
great idea for shell / perl / python / java / nodejs / lisp / "script language X" scripts,
in the /proc/net/{udp,tcp}* files, it should net be precluded from providing
a better attempt in new files / filesystems - that is all I am
suggesting.

It is a much more attractive proposition for scripts to parse some ASCII
text rather than having to make a call into a native code library or run an
executable like 'ip' (iproute2) to use netlink sockets for this ;
since Linux has to do this job for the /proc filesystem anyway,
why not at least consider then idea of improving & extending this
excellent support for scripts , and make their task simpler and more
efficient ? ie. they could use one number conversion routine for
all numbers in each new file.

I'd personally find such tables most useful, and might actually develop
a module for them. Especially if they included the netlink IP stats
like 64-bit total counts of rx & tx bytes for each socket as well
as rx & tx queue lengths.

Best Regards,
Jason