[RFC] change in /proc/devices

[Alexander Viro]

On Thu, 27 Jan 2000, Guest section DW wrote:

> > > >    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 ;-)
> 
> Introducing new interfaces in hex is a mistake. All hex stuff has to go eventually.
> I don't know how many times I have had to explain that 08:12 is not /dev/sda12
> but /dev/sdb2. Having names use decimal and numbers use hex is just confusing.

Excuse me? Names here are without numbers. And while 2100 is readable
8448 is _not_.

> > > >    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.
> 
> Yes. A device number is an opaque number that identifies a device.
> Userspace should not attempt to see structure there.
> [It is too bad we have ls and mknod.]

Ahem... Life without ls would be interesting...


-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo en vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/