Re: UUIDs (and devfs and major/minor numbers)

H. Peter Anvin (hpa@transmeta.com)
Fri, 18 Jun 1999 02:00:55 -0700


Paul Jakma wrote:
>
> > With devfsd, I have a very nice way of implementing persistence. I
> can
> > support the existing semantics, where a sysadmin goes in and manually
> > changes things, and I already support a more powerful scheme where
> > groups of device entries are "saved".
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Richard....
>
> In other words, you can implement what traditional filesystems can do.
> We know that. It also means devfs is superfluous. You might as well
> have a devmgr process with no need for a devfs at all.
>
> -hpa
>
> oh come on....
>
> a devmgr without kernel interaction would be a complicated, gross hack.
> How would you handle dynamic devices with your devmgr? poll every second
> for new devices? and what do you poll? Your devmgr has to get the
> information about new/expired devices from somewhere - so the kernel has
> to export this information somewhere. Why not in the most logical way:
> directly to /dev?

Trivially: it's the module installer's job. (Actually, dynamic devices
are bad, this one of the major reasons why.)

-hpa

-- 
"The user's computer downloads the ActiveX code and simulates a 'Blue
Screen' crash, a generally benign event most users are familiar with
and that would not necessarily arouse suspicions."
-- Security exploit description on http://www.zks.net/p3/how.asp

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