Eric Youngdale writes:
> > Well there is this really persistent guy from down under called
> > Richard Gooch ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) who has been pushing the
> > idea of a pseudo-file system for devices called devfs. The web page
> > is: http://www.atnf.csiro.au/~rgooch/linux/kernel-patches.html
> > One day Linus is going to relent and put it in cause he has
> > been thinking about it for a loooong time.
>
> My main objection to this was that it never seemed obvious
> that this is something that really had to be in the kernel. There
> has got to be a user-space solution to this issue that wouldn't
> bloat the kernel.
It's a pity so much FUD has been spread about devfs. I have raised
points that show that there are certain things you simply can't do
without devfs, and I have *NEVER* heard from the anti-devfs crowd how
you could do *all* these things in user space.
Sure, there are a number of features that devfs provides that can be
done in user space, but there remain things that simply cannot be done
in user space. Every time this debate comes up, I hear about how one
or other thing can be done in user space (or mostly in user space with
a small kernel space change). I never hear solutions to how you can do
the other things without devfs. There are some things which absolutely
require a special filesystem mounted onto /dev, but whenever I raise
these points there is a deafening silence.
For example, there was a thread here a couple of weeks ago about
CD-ROM devices and a naming scheme. In the course of this, I explained
to Monty how you can do "ls /dev/sr" and the SCSI CD-ROM module will
be automagically loaded and /dev/sr will be populated with entries for
the SCSI CD-ROM devices you have available. I asked Ted and others how
you'd provide such a feature without devfs. No response, as usual.
I don't seem to be given the opportunity to have a decent discussion
about the issue. All I get are hit-and-run attacks. When I try to pin
people down on certain specific points (the ones that don't seem to
have a user space solution), they suddenly loose interest. Until the
next time someone else asks about devfs on one of the mailing lists,
in which case they come running back to lob another grenade.
Maybe it's because I'm down under and I'm too far away to come over
and meet in person with the inner circle, so people don't feel I'm a
real person with something to contribute.
BTW, Eric: I'm not directing this at you. I'm describing the general
pattern I've seen about this topic.
Regards,
Richard....
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