RE: devfs again, (was RE: USB device allocation)

Shawn Leas (SLEAS@videoupdate.com)
Wed, 6 Oct 1999 14:32:57 -0500


>Names _are_ policy. So now I have to hack the kernel to rename the mouse?

No. Used symlinks, which, with devfsd, BTW, are persistent.

>There is an even thinner layer that does that, called mknod(8)+chmod(1)...

Jeezo cheeso, buddy, are you ignoring the major/minor limitation thing here,
or what???

>> use of a limited dev_t through dynamic allocation. Increasing dev_t size
is
>> still not going to make hot-plug things like USB clean.

>Neither is any "dynamic" name assignment, where names are compiled into the
>kernel (see above). As none of the alternatives (devfs and increased dev_t)
>really solves this problem, which clearly is the central point of the
>exercise anyway, we have to look for something else.

You've lost me.

>It is a complex mechanism to buy exactly what we had before. Violates KISS.

What you had before was limited, and not sustainable.

>This has security implications... if I can somehow mount devfs with _my_
>machinery to handle permissions (needed for "random user plugs in USB
>floppy", perhaps), the system is screwed. Again, goes against KISS.

You can chmod/chown/ln in the devfs, and it's persistent.

>Not proven, AFAIKS.

Then you are ignoring the arguments for it.

>What is needed is a way to address _data_, not _devices_. A user cares
>about the document she is writing, not about "USB SCSI controller 2, device
>14, partition 6, inode 417". The Unix way of handling files solves this for
>_fixed_ devices. For _removable_ devices (or media), I know of no real
>solution. Throw in the possibility of getting at data over FTP, HTTP, NFS,
>and whatnot (ultimate removability ;-).

Now you've abstracted everything to a way beyond level. You want your OS to
use URLs??? Why don't you KISS yourself! I mean, you just blasted devfs for
being too complex!!! Have you EVER used it? Did you even read the FAQ?

-Shawn

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