Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/1] eventfd: implementation of EFD_MASK flag

From: Martin Sustrik <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2013 08:36:10 +0100

On 09/02/13 04:54, Eric Wong wrote:

>>> Using one eventfd per userspace socket still seems a bit wasteful.
>>
>> Wasteful in what sense? Occupying a slot in file descriptor table?
>> That's the price for having the socket uniquely identified by the
>> fd.
>
> Yes.  I realize eventfd is small, but I don't think eventfd is needed
> at all, here.  Just one pipe.

Ah. Got you! You mean not to change the kernel, just use pipe for the 
purpose.

However, the convoluted pipe-style design is the problem I am trying to 
solve rather than the solution. It leads to convoluted APIs with 
convoluted semantics as described in the article. I've been using that 
kind of design for past 8 years and every time I have to deal with it I 
swear that one day I will implement a proper in-kernel solution to get 
rid of the hack.

And now I have finally done so.

Martin