Wireshark-dev: Re: [Wireshark-dev] Dynamically loading all dissectors (was: Re: Finding duplica
On Tue, May 31, 2011 at 11:54:16AM -0600, Stephen Fisher wrote:
> On Wed, May 18, 2011 at 02:17:33PM -0400, Ed Beroset wrote:
>
> > Speaking of more limited platforms, I wonder about about a way of
> > reducing both startup time and memory usage by having the dissectors
> > dynamically loaded (as with the current plug-in mechanism) rather than
> > statically linked. The current model of adding all dissectors to the
> > main code means that Wireshark will keep getting bigger and bigger. I
> > wonder if it might not be time to ponder if that's the best possible
> > option.
>
> I thought about this not too long ago, and the problem is that the code
> to determine which packets belong to which dissector is in the
> dissectors themselves, so you have to load all of them anyway.
It's somehow related, so can we rediscuss idea about disabling compilation of some dissectors?
(http://www.wireshark.org/lists/wireshark-dev/201104/msg00316.html)
After exams I'll have some spare time, and I could work on it, but
I'd really like to have some discussion before.
Some possibilites how to implement it:
1/ lot of new configuration options:
./configure --disable-udp --disable-ssl ...
cmake have got some nice GUIs [1][2] for configuration but it can't do tree and dependencies
(like: disable POP dissector when !TCP).
2/ configuration file (easy to backup/restore)
a/ kconfig - already used by some big projects (Linux, uclibc, Busybox)
Syntax: http://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/kbuild/kconfig-language.txt
And there are already nice tools to do configuration (for Qt[3]/gtk[4]/ncurses[5])
b/ our own syntax
Anyone is familliar with other configuration tools?
[1] http://www.cmake.org/cmake/img/CMakeGUI.gif
[2] http://www.cmake.org/cmake/img/ccmake.png
[3] http://www.q-vadis.net/img/homeserver/kernel-xconfig.jpg
[4] http://kerneltrap.org/sup/799/gconfig.png
[5] http://www.linux-ipv6.org/~kunitake/zaurus/menuconfig.png
