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A Linux kernel syscall implementation tracker (syscalls.mebeim.net)

407 points by halb · 751 days ago · 64 comments on HN

Article summary

The article presents a Linux kernel syscall implementation tracker, which provides a database of syscall tables for different architectures and kernel versions. The tracker is powered by Systrack and offers a JSON table of syscall information. The website aims to provide a convenient way to access syscall information, which is often scattered across various sources. The tracker's author plans to add support for more architectures, including RISC-V and s390x.

Main themes

  • Linux kernel syscalls
  • Syscall tracking
  • Architecture support
  • Kernel development
  • System call implementation

What commenters say

  • The Linux man pages do not provide syscall numbers, which can be found in published tables on the internet or in the Linux kernel tree.
  • Some syscalls are not properly documented or do not have wrapper functions, making it difficult to find information about them.
  • The syscall numbers and implementations can vary across different architectures, making it challenging to develop cross-platform applications.
  • The website's reliance on JavaScript may limit its accessibility for users with JavaScript disabled, but the underlying JSON tables are still available.
  • The Linux kernel's syscall implementation is complex and has historical quirks, making it difficult to maintain and extend.
  • The syscall numbers were renumbered in x86_64 to improve performance by grouping frequently used syscalls together in the same cacheline.
  • There is a need for a Windows syscall tracker similar to the one presented for Linux.
  • The website's author plans to add support for more architectures, but it requires significant work and effort.