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Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 16:14:21 +0000
From: Phil Pennock <pdp@nl.demon.net>
To: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@freebsd.org
Cc:
Subject: extra manpage .Xr to locate relevant sysctl information
X-Send-Pr-Version: 3.113
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>Number:         38426
>Category:       docs
>Synopsis:       extra manpage .Xr to locate relevant sysctl information
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    brueffer
>State:          closed
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:  
>Class:          change-request
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Wed May 22 09:20:01 PDT 2002
>Closed-Date:    Mon May 19 09:50:21 CEST 2003
>Last-Modified:  Mon May 19 09:50:21 CEST 2003
>Originator:     Phil Pennock
>Release:        FreeBSD 4.5-RELEASE-p2 i386
>Organization:
Thus Plc / Demon Internet Netherlands
>Environment:
System: FreeBSD samhain.noc.nl.demon.net 4.5-RELEASE-p2 FreeBSD 4.5-RELEASE-p2 #3: Tue Apr 16 19:28:41 GMT 2002 root@samhain.noc.nl.demon.net:/usr/src/sys/compile/SAMHAIN i386
>Description:
Some kernel values are available through sysctl(8), but are read-only.
By reading the kernel source, it's possible to trace back to the fact
that a variable such as kern.ipc.nmbclusters can be derived from the
kernel's boot-time environment.  More digging around in manual-pages
points to loader(8) and possible Forth programming.  More investigation
finally reveals that a simple variable assignment in /boot/loader.conf
does the trick (and even samples in /boot/defaults/loader.conf).
>How-To-Repeat:
Try, from first principles, to figure out how to change
kern.ipc.nmbclusters without building a new kernel.
>Fix:
This patch for src/sbin/sysctl.8 improves the chances of finding the
information quickly:

--- sysctl.8.orig	Wed May 22 18:02:19 2002
+++ sysctl.8	Wed May 22 18:06:28 2002
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@
 and
 .Nm netstat .
 .Pp
+Some of the variables which can not be modified during normal system
+operation can be initialised from the kernel run-time environment,
+instead of modifying the kernel itself.
+.Pp
 The string and integer information is summarized below.
 For a detailed description of these variable see
 .Xr sysctl 3 .
@@ -244,7 +248,8 @@
 option has been deprecated and is silently ignored.
 .Sh SEE ALSO
 .Xr sysctl 3 ,
-.Xr sysctl.conf 5
+.Xr sysctl.conf 5 ,
+.Xr loader.conf 5
 .Sh BUGS
 .Nm Sysctl
 presently exploits an undocumented interface to the kernel
>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:

From: Phil Pennock <pdp@nl.demon.net>
To: freebsd-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org
Cc:  
Subject: Re: docs/38426: extra manpage .Xr to locate relevant sysctl information
Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 18:24:08 +0200

 Pox.  Make that "src/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.8" in the Fix.
 
 Sorry.  Should have proof-read more carefully.

From: "Simon L. Nielsen" <simon@nitro.dk>
To: freebsd-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org, pdp@nl.demon.net
Cc:  
Subject: Re: docs/38426: extra manpage .Xr to locate relevant sysctl information
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 21:43:41 +0200

 --tcC6YSqBgqqkz7Sb
 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="L+ofChggJdETEG3Y"
 Content-Disposition: inline
 
 
 --L+ofChggJdETEG3Y
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 Hello
 
 In the name of close a doc PR ... :-)
 
 The idea of the change is good IMHO but I would suggest a version with a
 a bit different wording/content.  See attached patch.
 
 --=20
 Simon L. Nielsen
 
 --L+ofChggJdETEG3Y
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
 Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="man-sysctl.patch"
 
 Index: sysctl.8
 ===================================================================
 RCS file: /home/ncvs/src/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.8,v
 retrieving revision 1.47
 diff -u -d -r1.47 sysctl.8
 --- sysctl.8	6 Jul 2002 19:35:04 -0000	1.47
 +++ sysctl.8	30 Apr 2003 19:42:47 -0000
 @@ -134,6 +134,13 @@
  and
  .Nm netstat .
  .Pp
 +Some of the variables which can not be modified during normal system
 +operation can be initialized by setting them as environment variables
 +from
 +.Xr loader 8 .
 +This can for example be done by setting the variable in
 +.Xr loader.conf 5 .
 +.Pp
  The string and integer information is summarized below.
  For a detailed description of these variable see
  .Xr sysctl 3 .
 @@ -275,7 +282,9 @@
  option has been deprecated and is silently ignored.
  .Sh SEE ALSO
  .Xr sysctl 3 ,
 -.Xr sysctl.conf 5
 +.Xr loader.conf 5 ,
 +.Xr sysctl.conf 5 ,
 +.Xr loader 8
  .Sh BUGS
  The
  .Nm
 
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 --tcC6YSqBgqqkz7Sb--
Responsible-Changed-From-To: freebsd-doc->brueffer 
Responsible-Changed-By: brueffer 
Responsible-Changed-When: Wed May 14 17:09:45 CEST 2003 
Responsible-Changed-Why:  
I'll take this 

http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=38426 
State-Changed-From-To: open->patched 
State-Changed-By: brueffer 
State-Changed-When: Sat May 17 03:01:27 CEST 2003 
State-Changed-Why:  
Patch (slightly modified) committed to -CURRENT, MFC to come 

http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=38426 
State-Changed-From-To: patched->closed 
State-Changed-By: brueffer 
State-Changed-When: Mon May 19 09:49:53 CEST 2003 
State-Changed-Why:  
MFC done. 

http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=38426 
>Unformatted:
