owl-users - Re: /usr/include/{linux,asm}

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Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 02:26:13 +0100
From: Maciek Pasternacki <maciekp@...hy.fnord.org>
To: owl-users@...ts.openwall.com
Subject: Re: /usr/include/{linux,asm}

Jarno Huuskonen <Jarno.Huuskonen@....fi> writes:

> On Sat, Feb 15, Maciek Pasternacki wrote:
>> Why /usr/include/linux and /usr/include/asm in Owl are symlinks and
>> not copies of headers against which glibc was built?  Shouldn't these
>> be part of glibc package, or at least be independent from whatever
>> goes into /usr/src/linux?
>
> I think RedHat 6.2 uses those same symlinks (and if you're going to
> install 2.4.x kernel, then 2.4.x include files get used).

Yes, this is the problem.  The includes in /usr/include/linux and
/usr/include/asm should not match currently running kernel, but should
be the ones against which glibc was compiled.  If some struct
definition changes under the feet, keeping binary compatibility but
e.g. changing size, then it may break som glibc's routines which use
the old size or some arcane cpp macros in glibc's headers. 

-- 
__    Maciek Pasternacki <maciekp@...hy.fnord.org> [ http://japhy.fnord.org/ ]
`| _   |_\  / { (5)  It is always possible to aglutenate multiple separate
,|{-}|}| }\/ problems into a simple interdependent solution.In most cases this
\/   |____/ is a bad idea. }    ( RFC 1925, Basic Truths of Networking )  -><-