[Bug 215514] New: Documentation: meaning of device number / ID in `stat` and `stat()`

[Bug 215514] New: Documentation: meaning of device number / ID in `stat` and `stat()`

[bugzilla-daemon]

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=215514

            Bug ID: 215514
           Summary: Documentation: meaning of device number / ID in `stat`
                    and `stat()`
           Product: Documentation
           Version: unspecified
          Hardware: All
                OS: Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P1
         Component: man-pages
          Assignee: documentation_man-pages@kernel-bugs.osdl.org
          Reporter: jwagner@computing.dcu.ie
        Regression: No

The man page `man 2 stat` for `stat()` gives the impression that `stat.st_dev`
is always composed of major and minor of an existing block device. However,
filesystems such as `btrfs` allocate new device number not (clearly) related to
the underlying device(s). The description of `st_dev` needs to be updated.

Similarly, a clarification would be useful in `man 1 stat` either directly in
the description of the `%d` and `%D` formats or after the formats table.

My system: openSUSE Leap 15.3

Checked in current man pages as of 2022-01-21:
* https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/stat.2.html
* https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/stat.1.html

Related:
* https://github.com/util-linux/util-linux/issues/1562 (closed, wrong place)

Breadcrumbs:
* https://github.com/util-linux/util-linux/issues/1563 (closed, wrong place)

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