From owner-freebsd-hackers Sun Nov 30 19:35:12 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) id TAA28211 for hackers-outgoing; Sun, 30 Nov 1997 19:35:12 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-hackers) Received: from word.smith.net.au (vh1.gsoft.com.au [203.38.152.122]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id TAA28192 for ; Sun, 30 Nov 1997 19:35:06 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from mike@word.smith.net.au) Received: from word (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by word.smith.net.au (8.8.7/8.8.5) with ESMTP id OAA00602; Mon, 1 Dec 1997 14:00:10 +1030 (CST) Message-Id: <199712010330.OAA00602@word.smith.net.au> X-Mailer: exmh version 2.0zeta 7/24/97 To: jak@cetlink.net (John Kelly) cc: Julian Elischer , hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Stackable storage Alpha release In-reply-to: Your message of "Sun, 30 Nov 1997 20:03:30 GMT." <3481bc1a.18545261@mail.cetlink.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 14:00:10 +1030 From: Mike Smith Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk > >One of the things that I really didn't like about UNiX when I first > >started using it was the 'disconnection' between the contents of /dev and > >reality. To this end I have been working in the background on DEVFS. A > >device filesystem which allows (in fact requires) the device drivers to > >keep the exported picture of available devices in sync with what is > >actually attached. > > Being relatively new, I don't know much about DEVFS. Can you explain > the advantages of the above? In the current model, device nodes are entities on the disk. If you add a new driver, you have to add new device nodes manually (hello MAKEDEV). With DEVFS, the process whereby a driver attaches a device automatically creates the relevant node(s). This is a big win for dynamic hardware (PCCARDs, removable disk media, etc.) mike