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Date:      Mon, 16 Feb 1998 19:38:41 -0800 (PST)
From:      Simon Shapiro <shimon@simon-shapiro.org>
To:        Julian Elischer <julian@whistle.com>
Cc:        current@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: devfs persistence
Message-ID:  <XFMail.980216193841.shimon@simon-shapiro.org>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.95.980216153712.8949V-100000@current1.whistle.com>

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 .... [ Lots and lots of wonderful stuff deleted ] ...

My $0.02 worth:

The non-DEVFS system we have now is manual, with a throttle lever, mixture
lever, and remote idle setting.

DEVFS introduces computerized fuel injection & automatic transmissions

I wholeheartedly agree with DEVFS, but can see where one would want some
measure of control.

Much of the discussion has been either in the theoretical, or the ``what
if'' realm.  I think there is a pragmatic, practical side to it too, which
Terry seems to represent the most;

If ALL devices that actually exist && have a driver to support them are
represented in a DEVFS /dev, and if one can chmod, chown, chgrp and mv then
(as far as renaming goes), then we can have a very persistent DEVS with a
/etc/rc.something script.  If you want it to look nicer, make the script a
/etc/dev.conf, and ``parse it'' from /etc/rc, at the proper time, by
applying all the deltas.  this will be, from the system's point of view
very persistent.  Security?  Anyone who can breach one file with proper
root ownership & permissions can breach another.

Thoughtless/careless/brainless administrators wil alwas exist and will
always expose their systems.  I say, let them.

The only thing not clear to me (I know this is obvious), is;  With an all
DEVFS, can I still do ``mkdir -p /a/b/c/d;cd /a/b/c/d;mknod foo c 123 456,
or its equivalent?  If not, then symbolic links are fine too.

Oh, a /dev DEVFS mounted, can it create links and/or symlinks?
Why not?

----------


Sincerely Yours, 

Simon Shapiro
Shimon@Simon-Shapiro.ORG                      Voice:   503.708.7858

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