[RFC] change in /proc/devices

[Alexander Viro]

On Thu, 27 Jan 2000, david parsons wrote:

>    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

Erm... It was in hex ;-)

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

Argh... I'ld _really_ like to get rid of major/minor stuff wherever
possible. Besides, says who that we will not get a driver for terabyte
hardware raid where one can expect more than 256 partitions?

>    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.)

Maybe, but I'ld rather keep character ones away from that. If we will
start touching them (and you will be the first to cry bloody murder) I'ld
prefer to keep them in a separate file.

>                  ____
>    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.

In lkm you will be able to do much better - another question being what
would you do with the results...

	ObBletch: All this stuff bears some uncanny resemblance to
IP-space-dries-up fights. I just hope that we will not end up with an
analog of NetSol<spit> on hands...


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