Re: [ECOS] Re: Once again, I need a binary semaphore

[Grant Edwards <grant.b.edwards@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Mar 17, 2015 at 10:57:06AM -0400, Frank Pagliughi wrote:

> I'm in agreement, for what it's worth. I've had to make use of the 
> binary semaphore through the C++ API, and it always made me wonder why 
> it wasn't brought out to the public/C API.

I've been asking that for 15 years.  OK, I exaggerate.  I just looked
itup and the first thread I started on this top was March 2001, so
it's only been 14 years.  The reason given for lack of a binary
semaphore C API was:

   It was never intended that the KAPI be a complete reflection of the
   kernel implementation. It is meant to be a consistent,
   self-contained, small API that can be used by C applications. Like
   the uITRON and POSIX APIs it only exposes a subset. It was
   considered unnecessary to export binary semaphores, since a
   counting semaphore initialized to 1 is functionally equivalent.

   If I had had my way the KAPI would have been even more minimal that
   it currently is.

   -- 
   Nick Garnett, eCos Kernel Architect 
   Red Hat, Cambridge, UK

Except a counting semaphore initialized to 1 is _not_ functionally
equivalent to a binary semaphore in all cases.  I pointed this out and
provided examples of sequences of wait/post where the behavior
differs, but was told those sequences were "bugs" and (jokingly, I
hope) if I didn't shut up and stop asking questions then the C++
binary semaphores would be removed copletely.

It was quite clear that Nick was adamantly opposed to providing a C
API for binary semaphores and that the needs of eCos users'
application code were to be overruled by his idea of what an comprised
a minimal, complete, elegent set of C APIs: people who want to
write/port C apps that use binary semaphores should just and rewrite
the application code.

IOW, all you really need are two-input NAND gates to model any Turing
complete machine so stop bitching and get to work.

-- 
Grant


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