System and Time Information

Declared in: be/kernel/OS.h

Library: libroot.so

The following functions, types, and structures are used to convey basic information about the system, such as the number of CPUs, when the kernel was built, what time it is now and whether your computer is on fire.

System Info Functions and Structures

get_system_info(), system_info, cpu_info, cpu_type, platform_type

      status_t get_system_info(system_info *info)
      struct {} system_info
      struct {} cpu_info
      enum cpu_type
      enum platform_type

The get_system_info() function tells you more than you want to know about the physical capacities and other statistics of your operating system. The function takes a pointer to an allocated system_info structure and fills it in.

   typedef struct {
      machine_id  id;
      bigtime_t  boot_time;
      int32  cpu_count;
      cpu_type  cpu_type;
      int32  cpu_revision;
      cpu_info  cpu_infos[B_MAX_CPU_NUM];   
      int64  cpu_clock_speed;
      int64  bus_clock_speed;
      platform_type  platform_type;
      int32  max_pages;   
      int32  used_pages;
      int32  page_faults;
      int32  max_sems;         
      int32  used_sems;
      int32  max_ports;
      int32  used_ports;
      int32  max_threads;
      int32  used_threads;
      int32  max_teams;            
      int32  used_teams;
      char  kernel_name[B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH];  
      char  kernel_build_date[B_OS_NAME_LENGTH]; 
      char  kernel_build_time[B_OS_NAME_LENGTH]; 
      int64  kernel_version;   
   } system_info

The system_info structure holds information about the machine and the state of the kernel. The structure's fields are:

• id. The 64-bit number (encoded as two int32s) that uniquely identifies this machine.

• boot_time. The time at which the computer was last booted, measured in microseconds since January 1st, 1970.

• cpu_count. The number of CPUs.

• cpu_type and cpu_revision. The type constant and revision number of the CPUs.

• cpu_infos. An array of cpu_info structures, one for each CPU.

• cpu_clock_speed. The speed (in Hz) at which the CPUs operate.

• bus_clock_speed. The speed (in Hz) at which the bus operates.

• platform_type. One of the platform type constants.

• max_resources and used_resources. The five pairs of max/used fields give the total number of RAM pages, semaphores, and so on, that the system can create, and the number that are currently in use.

• page_faults. The number of times the system a read a page of memory into RAM due to a page fault.

• kernel_name. The (leaf) name of the kernel.

• kernel_build_date and kernel_build_time. Human-readable strings that tell you when the kernel was built.

• kernel_version. A number that identifies the kernel version.

The cpu_info structure is:

   typedef struct {
      bigtime_t active_time;  
   } cpu_info;

• active_time is the number of microseconds spent doing useful work since the machine was booted.

Relatedly, B_MAX_CPU_COUNT is currently 8.

The machine_id type is:

   typedef int32 machine_id[2];

The cpu_type constants are:

   typedef enum {
       B_CPU_PPC_601 = 1,
       B_CPU_PPC_603 = 2,
       B_CPU_PPC_603e = 3,
       B_CPU_PPC_604 = 4,
       B_CPU_PPC_604e = 5,
       B_CPU_PPC_686 = 13,
       B_CPU_AMD_29K,
       B_CPU_X86,
       B_CPU_MC6502,
       B_CPU_Z80,
       B_CPU_ALPHA,
       B_CPU_MIPS,
       B_CPU_HPPA,
       B_CPU_M68K,
       B_CPU_ARM,
       B_CPU_SH,
       B_CPU_SPARC
   } cpu_type;

The platform_type constants are:

   typedef enum {
       B_BEBOX_PLATFORM = 0,
       B_MAC_PLATFORM,
       B_AT_CLONE_PLATFORM,
       B_ENIAC_PLATFORM,
       B_APPLE_II_PLATFORM,
       B_CRAY_PLATFORM,
       B_LISA_PLATFORM,
       B_TI_994A_PLATFORM,
       B_TIMEX_SINCLAIR_PLATFORM,
       B_ORAC_1_PLATFORM,
       B_HAL_PLATFORM
   } platform_type;

I haven't tried it, but I really don't think the BeOS would work at all well on a Timex Sinclair (see is_computer_on_fire()).

get_system_info() always returns B_OK.

is_computer_on()

      int32 is_computer_on(void)

Returns 1 if the computer is on. If the computer isn't on, the value returned by this function is undefined.

is_computer_on_fire()

      double is_computer_on_fire(void)

Returns the temperature of the motherboard if the computer is currently on fire. Smoldering doesn't count. If the computer isn't on fire, the function returns some other value.

Time Functions

real_time_clock(), real_time_clock_usecs(), set_real_time_clock()

      uint32 real_time_clock (void)
      bigtime_t real_time_clock_usecs (void)
      void set_real_time_clock (int32 secs_since_jan1_1970)

real_time_clock() returns the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970.

real_time_clock_usecs() measures the same time span in microseconds.

set_real_time_clock() sets the value that the other two functions refer to.

system_time()

      bigtime_t system_time(void)

Returns the number of microseconds that have elapsed since the computer was booted.

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Copyright © 1998 Be, Inc. All rights reserved.

Last modified December 7, 1998.