libifconfig non-private in 13?

[Ryan Moeller]

On Sun, Dec 27, 2020 at 9:15 AM Kristof Provost <kp at freebsd.org> wrote:
>
> On 26 Dec 2020, at 22:33, Li-Wen Hsu wrote:
> > On Sun, Dec 27, 2020 at 5:18 AM Baptiste Daroussin <bapt at freebsd.org>
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> On Mon, Dec 21, 2020 at 09:02:00PM +0100, Kristof Provost wrote:
> >>> Hi,
> >>>
> >>> Libifconfig was marked as private (and experimental) back in 2016.
> >>> It’s since made some strides and has grown a few users. Ifconfig
> >>> now depends
> >>> on it as well.
> >>>
> >>> While it’s far from finished it’d be more useful for some users
> >>> if it were
> >>> public. That would at least imply some level of API/ABI stability,
> >>> which is
> >>> why I’m bringing it up here before pulling the trigger.
> >>>
> >>> Does anyone see any reasons to not do this?
> >>>

I agree with the feeling that the current API may eventually need to be revised,
but as far as I'm aware nobody has plans or work in progress on that front.
I don't object to making the library public, and perhaps that will even help
gather interested parties to help continue fleshing out the missing pieces.

> >>
> >> I would go the otherway around, any reason to make it public yet? if
> >> yes they go
> >> ahead, if no keep it private ;)
> >
> > I would say it is nice to have some scripting language bindings to it,
> > although I'm not sure if this is possible and a feasible usage.
> >
> I’m sure it’s possible. Ryan actually done some of that work:
> https://reviews.freebsd.org/D25447
>
> Maybe we should merge that too.

The API does make bindings a little funky, but it works.

I recall speaking to at least one person who was interested in Python bindings
for libifconfig, as well.

My only plans for the time being are to continue moving functionality
from ifconfig
into libifconfig little by little, but it's an "if and when I feel
like it" low priority kind of thing.
As I do this I will continue to keep the flua library updated as well.

If memory serves, I have everything currently in libifconfig
implemented in the flua library
and roughly documented in the ifconfig(3lua) manual page, but that
isn't a whole lot.
A ton of useful/important ifconfig features are not yet implemented in
libifconfig.
Still, it's better than nothing even in the current state. Most of the
basic useful getters
are there, at least. Not much is there in the way of setters.

-- 
Ryan Moeller
iXsystems, Inc.
OS Developer
Email: ryan at iXsystems.com