From owner-freebsd-hackers Tue Jun 23 18:57:37 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id SAA27198 for freebsd-hackers-outgoing; Tue, 23 Jun 1998 18:57:37 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from ns1.yes.no (ns1.yes.no [195.119.24.10]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id SAA27175 for ; Tue, 23 Jun 1998 18:57:21 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from eivind@bitbox.follo.net) Received: from bitbox.follo.net (bitbox.follo.net [195.204.143.218]) by ns1.yes.no (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id BAA20864 for ; Wed, 24 Jun 1998 01:57:18 GMT Received: (from eivind@localhost) by bitbox.follo.net (8.8.8/8.8.6) id DAA20724; Wed, 24 Jun 1998 03:57:17 +0200 (MET DST) Message-ID: <19980624035717.61713@follo.net> Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 03:57:17 +0200 From: Eivind Eklund To: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Heads up: block devices to disappear! References: <315.898610601.1.kithrup.freebsd.hackers@critter.freebsd.dk> <199806240130.SAA06590@kithrup.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.89.1i In-Reply-To: <199806240130.SAA06590@kithrup.com>; from Sean Eric Fagan on Tue, Jun 23, 1998 at 06:30:14PM -0700 Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Tue, Jun 23, 1998 at 06:30:14PM -0700, Sean Eric Fagan wrote: > In article > <315.898610601.1.kithrup.freebsd.hackers@critter.freebsd.dk> you > write: > >Unless compelling evidence to the contrary is presented, I will remove > >blockdevices as a concept from FreeBSD RSN. > > > >In the future all devices will be character devices, and mounts will > >happen using these as well. > > > Wow, I am sitting here, remembering arguments by certain freebsd > core members a couple of years ago about how linux' lack of block > devices was a defficiency. That was, AFAIK, about the lack of _raw_ devices. > Tell me, how am I supposed to do direct, un-cached accesses? Use the raw device. > How about all the auxillary programs, some of which are in ports, > which expect to be able to use block devices -- and do stats to > check on it? Which are these? I can't see any reason to retain the block devices - AFAIK, they are only used to mount filesystems on, and if that can be done in other ways, we're all set. Eivind. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message