[gofetch.git] / test / expected / LWN / 0000764057.header

0[$] IDA: simplifying the complex task of allocating integers	null/LWN/0000764057		70\r
i  [Kernel] Sep 4, 2018 0:15 UTC (Tue) (corbet)\r
i\r
i    It  is  common  for kernel code to generate unique integers for\r
i    identifiers.  When  one plugs in a flash drive, it will show up\r
i    as  /dev/sdN  ; that N (a letter derived from a number) must be\r
i    generated  in  the  kernel, and it should not already be in use\r
i    for  another  drive or unpleasant things will happen. One might\r
i    think  that  generating  such  numbers would not be a difficult\r
i    task,  but  that  turns  out  not to be the case, especially in\r
i    situations  where  many  numbers  must be tracked. The IDA (for\r
i    "ID  allocator", perhaps) API exists to handle this specialized\r
i    task.  In  past  kernels, it has managed to make the process of\r
i    getting  an unused number surprisingly complex; the 4.19 kernel\r
i    has a new IDA API that simplifies things considerably.\r
i\r
Commit	Line	Data
	1	0[$] IDA: simplifying the complex task of allocating integers null/LWN/0000764057 70\r
	2	i [Kernel] Sep 4, 2018 0:15 UTC (Tue) (corbet)\r
	3	i\r
	4	i It is common for kernel code to generate unique integers for\r
	5	i identifiers. When one plugs in a flash drive, it will show up\r
	6	i as /dev/sdN ; that N (a letter derived from a number) must be\r
	7	i generated in the kernel, and it should not already be in use\r
	8	i for another drive or unpleasant things will happen. One might\r
	9	i think that generating such numbers would not be a difficult\r
	10	i task, but that turns out not to be the case, especially in\r
	11	i situations where many numbers must be tracked. The IDA (for\r
	12	i "ID allocator", perhaps) API exists to handle this specialized\r
	13	i task. In past kernels, it has managed to make the process of\r
	14	i getting an unused number surprisingly complex; the 4.19 kernel\r
	15	i has a new IDA API that simplifies things considerably.\r
	16	i\r