Re: [PATCH v7 5/5] tcp: Clamp the retry timeout

[David Gibson <david@gibson.dropbear.id.au>]

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On Mon, Nov 03, 2025 at 11:11:10AM +0800, Yumei Huang wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 31, 2025 at 4:38 PM Stefano Brivio <sbrivio@redhat.com> wrote:
> >
> > On Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:42:42 +0800
> > Yumei Huang <yuhuang@redhat.com> wrote:
[snip]
> > > diff --git a/tcp.h b/tcp.h
> > > index befedde..a238bb7 100644
> > > --- a/tcp.h
> > > +++ b/tcp.h
> > > @@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ union tcp_listen_epoll_ref {
> > >   * @fwd_out:         Port forwarding configuration for outbound packets
> > >   * @timer_run:               Timestamp of most recent timer run
> > >   * @pipe_size:               Size of pipes for spliced connections
> > > + * @tcp_rto_max:     Maximal retry timeout (in s)
> >
> > Nit: "maximal" has a slightly different meaning compared to "maximum".
> >
> > The highest value allowed for a field would typically be called
> > "maximum", while "maximal" is more commonly used to indicate a value /
> > element that's the biggest of all values. Yes, I know, it's complicated.
> 
> Yeah, it's complicated. Actually I get the word from networking/ip-sysctl.rst.
> 
>         tcp_rto_max_ms - INTEGER
>                Maximal TCP retransmission timeout (in ms).
> 
> "maximum" might be more appropriate as you explained.

In mathematics, the difference is well defined.  "maximal" means
nothing else is bigger than it, "maximum" means everything else is
smaller than it.  Those are the same thing for a total order, but not
for a partial order.

Since integers have a total order, either would be correct here,
according to mathematician's English.

Of course, that only partly overlaps with everyday English usage.  I
think either would be fine, but "maximum" is probably slightly better.

-- 
David Gibson (he or they)	| I'll have my music baroque, and my code
david AT gibson.dropbear.id.au	| minimalist, thank you, not the other way
				| around.
http://www.ozlabs.org/~dgibson

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