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Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 15:34:12 -0500 (EST)
From: Garrett Wollman <wollman@khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu>
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To: "M. Warner Losh" <imp@bsdimp.com>
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Subject: Re: Review/Test: Pseudo-device unit number management patch 
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<<On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 01:03:18 -0700 (MST), "M. Warner Losh" <imp@bsdimp.com> said:

> s/I/we/  Others have signed off on this model.  Maybe you could
> explain how such a device would exist, and its exact semantics.  With
> a cloning device that phk is talking about, you open /dev/foo, and
> /dev/foo0, /dev/foo1, etc are automatically created.  This is how
> things work on other systems for cloning devices.

In traditional implementations of cloning devices, the master device
actually exists in the namespace and can be seen and prodded without
having to open it first.  (E.g., /dev/pts)

In really funky implementations of cloning devices, the master device
magically morphs into a directory when you access it like one.  (E.g.,
/dev/pts on AIX)

-GAWollmna