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From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
Message-Id: <199603230347.UAA04429@phaeton.artisoft.com>
Subject: Re: PATCH: small, syntax changes for devfs
To: bde@zeta.org.au (Bruce Evans)
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 1996 20:47:08 -0700 (MST)
Cc: bde@zeta.org.au, terry@lambert.org, current@FreeBSD.org,
        julian@ref.tfs.com, phk@critter.tfs.com, scrappy@ki.net
In-Reply-To: <199603230129.MAA01156@godzilla.zeta.org.au> from "Bruce Evans" at Mar 23, 96 12:29:49 pm
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> >> I prefer a flat namespace.
> 
> >Why?
> 
> - it's easier to search.
> - existing programs depend on it.
> - it forces you to choose short unambiguous names in a consistent way.
>   This is most important for tty names.
> 
> I think a layered namespace would need to have zillions of links to
> a flat namespace to avoid these problems.

Counterexamples:

1)	/dev/pty/000 (a cloning pty device driver instead of fixed
	allocation and a kernel rebuild).

2)	A physical device with a changer with a DOS partition table
	on one of the spindles, with an extended partition on one
	of the partitions with a BSD disklabel on one of the
	extended partitions...


					Terry Lambert
					terry@lambert.org
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.