From owner-cvs-src@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Aug 2 22:47:49 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: cvs-src@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2E47516A4D4 for ; Mon, 2 Aug 2004 22:47:49 +0000 (GMT) Received: from mail3.speakeasy.net (mail3.speakeasy.net [216.254.0.203]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9787743D70 for ; Mon, 2 Aug 2004 22:47:48 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from jhb@FreeBSD.org) Received: (qmail 10503 invoked from network); 2 Aug 2004 22:47:48 -0000 Received: from dsl027-160-063.atl1.dsl.speakeasy.net (HELO server.baldwin.cx) ([216.27.160.63]) (envelope-sender ) encrypted SMTP for ; 2 Aug 2004 22:47:47 -0000 Received: from 10.50.40.208 (gw1.twc.weather.com [216.133.140.1]) (authenticated bits=0) by server.baldwin.cx (8.12.11/8.12.11) with ESMTP id i72MlZp2020817; Mon, 2 Aug 2004 18:47:44 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from jhb@FreeBSD.org) From: John Baldwin To: Tom Rhodes Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 18:47:17 -0400 User-Agent: KMail/1.6 References: <200408011140.i71BesOt070889@repoman.freebsd.org> <200408021600.00339.jhb@FreeBSD.org> <20040802175544.0211d312@localhost> In-Reply-To: <20040802175544.0211d312@localhost> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-Id: <200408021847.17496.jhb@FreeBSD.org> X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on server.baldwin.cx cc: cvs-src@FreeBSD.org cc: src-committers@FreeBSD.org cc: Mark Murray cc: cvs-all@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: cvs commit: src/sys/alpha/alpha mem.c src/sys/alpha/conf GENERIC src/sys/alpha/include memdev.h src/sys/amd64/amd64 io.c mem.c src/sys/amd64/conf GENERIC NOTES src/sys/amd64/include iodev.h memdev.h src/sys/conf NOTES files files.alpha files.amd64 ... X-BeenThere: cvs-src@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: CVS commit messages for the src tree List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 22:47:49 -0000 On Monday 02 August 2004 05:55 pm, Tom Rhodes wrote: > On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 16:00:00 -0400 > > John Baldwin wrote: > > On Sunday 01 August 2004 07:40 am, Mark Murray wrote: > > > markm 2004-08-01 11:40:54 UTC > > > > > > FreeBSD src repository > > > > > > Modified files: > > > sys/alpha/alpha mem.c > > > sys/alpha/conf GENERIC > > > sys/amd64/amd64 mem.c > > > sys/amd64/conf GENERIC NOTES > > > sys/conf NOTES files files.alpha files.amd64 > > > files.i386 files.ia64 files.pc98 > > > files.sparc64 > > > [ ... ] > > > > Why in the world are /dev/null and /dev/zero optional? /dev/[k]mem > > and /dev/io I can accept for those with uber-high security paranoia, but > > I can't think of any good reason to have a kernel without /dev/null and > > /dev/zero. To me it seems that this creates way more foot shooting > > potential than benefit. It's one thing to have device drivers for > > hardware that may or may not be present optional, but /dev/null and > > /dev/zero do not fall into that case. > > Foot shooting potential? Please, we have other "KEEP THIS" listed > for COMPAT_43, why not the same here? Like: > > device null KEEP THIS! > device zero KEEP THIS TOO! How about not having optional things being optional? Mark pointed out npx as an example in a side conversation and for what its worth, device npx should just be made standard (i.e. required) on i386 as it is on amd64 rather than be a foot-shooting implement. The reason for it having a device line at all probably goes back to the older configuration mechanism of <= 4.x where a device had to have a line to show up as an actual device rather than being instantiated by hints or driver identify routines. -- John Baldwin <>< http://www.FreeBSD.org/~jhb/ "Power Users Use the Power to Serve" = http://www.FreeBSD.org