Re: LANANA: To Pending Device Number Registrants

Richard Gooch
2001-05-16T23:49:52Z

[Cc: list trimmed because I figure people are getting tired of us:-]
H. Peter Anvin writes:
> Richard Gooch wrote:
> >
> > H. Peter Anvin writes:
> > > Richard Gooch wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Erm, let's start again. My central point is that you can use devfs
> > > > names to reliably figure out what kind of device a FD is, as a cleaner
> > > > alternative to comparing major numbers. Therefore, I'm challenging the
> > > > notion that you need to reserve magic major numbers in order to
> > > > distinguish devices.
> > >
> > > Noone in this tree has made that claim. Everyone agree it's
> > > butt-ugly. However, your solution is by and large just as
> > > butt-ugly.
> >
> > So you'd prefer some kind of capability list?

OK. How do you figure on dealing with the problem of multiple
high-level drivers talking to the same device? How does sr.o "know"
that this is also a CD-RW? How does sg.o "know" that this is also a
tape?

Where does the responsibility lie for figuring out the capabilities?

Further, which device node/fs/driver exports the capability list?

And what about locking between drivers?

Regards,

Richard....
Permanent: rgooch@atnf.csiro.au
Current: rgooch@ras.ucalgary.ca