From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Nov 17 22:16:54 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C2602106566C; Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:16:54 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com) Received: from agora.rdrop.com (unknown [IPv6:2607:f678:1010::34]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9F2DF8FC0C; Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:16:54 +0000 (UTC) Received: from agora.rdrop.com (66@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by agora.rdrop.com (8.13.1/8.12.7) with ESMTP id pAHMGrVx084242 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NOT); Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:16:54 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com) Received: (from uucp@localhost) by agora.rdrop.com (8.13.1/8.12.9/Submit) with UUCP id pAHMGraP084241; Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:16:53 -0800 (PST) Received: from fbsd81 ([192.168.200.81]) by pluto.rain.com (4.1/SMI-4.1-pluto-M2060407) id AA01998; Thu, 17 Nov 11 14:01:22 PST Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:01:04 -0800 From: perryh@pluto.rain.com To: arundel@freebsd.org Message-Id: <4ec5e690.l2CUTtl0GR+evQV5%perryh@pluto.rain.com> References: <20111115202450.GA73512@freebsd.org> <20111116102239.GA2687@britannica.bec.de> <20111116131428.GA40723@freebsd.org> <20111116232152.GC21793@britannica.bec.de> <20111117002438.GA55931@freebsd.org> <20111117095951.GA34444@freebsd.org> In-Reply-To: <20111117095951.GA34444@freebsd.org> User-Agent: nail 11.25 7/29/05 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: easy way to determine if a stream or fd is seekable X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:16:54 -0000 Alexander Best wrote: > since i've never worked with tape: what file type does it identify > as? character special file, or block special file, or ...? IIUC all devices are now character, block devices having been dropped from FreeBSD some time ago. Come to think of it, it would not be altogether surprising if that turned out to be the point at which the ability to seek a device went away.