From owner-freebsd-hackers Wed Jun 24 09:54:22 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id JAA09688 for freebsd-hackers-outgoing; Wed, 24 Jun 1998 09:54:22 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from elvis.vnet.net (elvis.vnet.net [166.82.1.5]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id JAA09603 for ; Wed, 24 Jun 1998 09:53:42 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from rivers@dignus.com) Received: from dignus.com (ponds.vnet.net [166.82.177.48]) by elvis.vnet.net (8.8.8/8.8.4) with ESMTP id MAA22472 for ; Wed, 24 Jun 1998 12:53:29 -0400 (EDT) Received: from lakes.dignus.com (lakes [10.0.0.3]) by dignus.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id KAA16528 for ; Wed, 24 Jun 1998 10:29:14 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from rivers@localhost) by lakes.dignus.com (8.8.8/8.6.9) id KAA04665 for hackers@FreeBSD.ORG; Wed, 24 Jun 1998 10:01:52 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 10:01:52 -0400 (EDT) From: Thomas David Rivers Message-Id: <199806241401.KAA04665@lakes.dignus.com> To: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Heads up: block devices to disappear! In-Reply-To: <199806240844.BAA22345@usr08.primenet.com> Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG Terry Lambert writes: > had in no other fashion. Let's meake sure that the block device interface > is not in the same [complex but useful - ed.] category before summarily > executing it. In a similar context - I'd like to ask some simple questions. Can anyone clearly state why they were needed in UNIX at it's offset? Once that is understood - is it still the case, or has it been obviated in some way? I believe answers to these questions would be illuminating for the nervous amongst us (I count myself in the 'nervous' category on this one.) The reason I call for caution is simple - these have been with UNIX a long time... if they could have been simplified at the offset, why weren't they? What's different now? I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I'd just like to understand what's changed from 20+ years ago... - Dave Rivers - To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message