[RFC] change in /proc/devices

[david parsons]

Alexander Viro wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> On 22 Jan 2000, david parsons wrote:
> 
> > In article <linux.kernel.Pine.GSO.4.10.10001222307410.27195-100000 en weyl.math.psu.edu>,
> > Alexander Viro  <viro en math.psu.edu> wrote:
> > 
> > >(I _really_ don't see the point in separate names for IDE interfaces here,
> > 
> >     Because, unlike scsi, ide majors are randomly scattered all over g-d's
> >     creation.   If you've got some (puke) userland script faking devfs
> >     (like recent MAKEDEV's) it will probably care about the difference
> >     between ide0, ide1, ide2, and so on.
> > 
> >     Changing sort order shouldn't matter, but pulling information out does.
> 
> Humpf... You know, there may be a better way to do it. What would you say
> about:
> 
> $ cat /proc/drivers/block/devices
> 0300[40] hda
> 0340[40] hdb
> 2100[40] hde
> 2140[40] hdf
> 0800[10] sda

   That would work.

   I'd prefer a postfix notation that separates out major and minor
   numbers, like so:

   hda 03 00-39
   hdb 03 40-79
   hde 21 00-39
   hdf 21 00-40
   sda 08 00-09

   Because that would explicitly show the major and minors, instead
   of having to rely on hidden magic to partition the majorspace.

   And, actually, while I'm dreaming, I'd love to have it be:

   device type major minors
   hda    b    03    00-39
   hdb    b    03    40-79
   hde    b    21    00-39
   hdf    b    21    00-40
   sda    b    08    00-09

   (Yes, the ``device type ...'' is part of the format.  Why?  Because if
   this information is included, it's trivial to build a scanner that
   can pick up the information properly even if the format is shuffled
   or fields are added.   I think this is how snmp data is returned,
   and that's the one nice thing in that bodge of a standard.)

                 ____
   david parsons \bi/ It's not a devfs, but this is a format I can do
                  \/  something with either in userspace or in a lkm.

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