Re: [PATCH] new system call mknod64

Linus Torvalds
2003-04-20T21:44:07Z

On Sun, 20 Apr 2003, David S. Miller wrote:
>
> Such an abstract statement nobody can disagree with.
> Do you have an opinion in the mknod case?
>
> If you are trying to reach 64-bit dev_t's, why not
> use __u64 as the argument?

That's not correct either.

I will refuse a patch that just takes "dev_t", since I just think that's
stupid.

The kernel should get major and minor numbers. It's a sad mistake that
UNIX uses "dev_t" in the first place, and clearly the glibc interface to
user mode will have to be that historical braindamage. But we should
realize that the _right_ interface is keeping the <major, minor> tuple
explicit, and any new system call interfaces should be of that type.

Linus