| 1 | <?xml version='1.0' encoding="UTF-8"?> |
1 | <?xml version='1.0' encoding="UTF-8"?> |
| 2 | <!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/devfs-guide.xml,v 1.6 2004/07/20 17:12:29 vapier Exp $ --> |
2 | <!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/devfs-guide.xml,v 1.7 2004/09/09 11:56:26 swift Exp $ --> |
| 3 | |
3 | |
| 4 | <!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd"> |
4 | <!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd"> |
| 5 | |
5 | |
| 6 | <guide link="/doc/en/devfs-guide.xml"> |
6 | <guide link="/doc/en/devfs-guide.xml"> |
| 7 | <title>Device File System Guide</title> |
7 | <title>Device File System Guide</title> |
| … | |
… | |
| 17 | and how to work with it. |
17 | and how to work with it. |
| 18 | </abstract> |
18 | </abstract> |
| 19 | |
19 | |
| 20 | <license/> |
20 | <license/> |
| 21 | |
21 | |
| 22 | <version>0.1</version> |
22 | <version>0.2</version> |
| 23 | <date>September 11, 2003</date> |
23 | <date>September 09, 2004</date> |
| 24 | |
24 | |
| 25 | <chapter> |
25 | <chapter> |
| 26 | <title>What is devfs?</title> |
26 | <title>What is devfs?</title> |
| 27 | <section> |
27 | <section> |
| 28 | <title>The (good?) old days</title> |
28 | <title>The (good?) old days</title> |
| … | |
… | |
| 126 | </p> |
126 | </p> |
| 127 | |
127 | |
| 128 | </body> |
128 | </body> |
| 129 | </section> |
129 | </section> |
| 130 | <section> |
130 | <section> |
| 131 | <title>devfs as all-round winner</title> |
131 | <title>devfs as all-round winner ?</title> |
| 132 | <body> |
132 | <body> |
| 133 | |
133 | |
| 134 | <p> |
134 | <p> |
| 135 | devfs tackles all listed problems. It only provides the user with |
135 | devfs tackles all listed problems. It only provides the user with |
| 136 | existing devices, adds new nodes when new devices are found, and makes |
136 | existing devices, adds new nodes when new devices are found, and makes |
| … | |
… | |
| 142 | <p> |
142 | <p> |
| 143 | For instance, with devfs, you don't have to worry about major/minor |
143 | For instance, with devfs, you don't have to worry about major/minor |
| 144 | pairs. It is still supported (for backwards compatibility), but isn't |
144 | pairs. It is still supported (for backwards compatibility), but isn't |
| 145 | needed. This makes it possible for Linux to support even more devices, |
145 | needed. This makes it possible for Linux to support even more devices, |
| 146 | since there are no limits anymore (numbers always have boundaries :) |
146 | since there are no limits anymore (numbers always have boundaries :) |
|
|
147 | </p> |
|
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148 | |
|
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149 | <p> |
|
|
150 | Yet devfs does come with it's own problems; for the end users these issues |
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151 | aren't really visible, but for the kernel maintainers the problems are big |
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152 | enough to mark devfs <e>obsolete</e> in favor of <uri |
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153 | link="udev-guide.xml">udev</uri> (which Gentoo supports as well :). |
|
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154 | </p> |
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155 | |
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156 | <p> |
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157 | For more information as to why devfs is marked obsolete, please read the <uri |
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158 | link="http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/kernel/hotplug/udev-FAQ">udev |
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159 | FAQ</uri> and <uri |
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160 | link="http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/kernel/hotplug/udev_vs_devfs">udev |
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161 | versus devfs document</uri>. |
| 147 | </p> |
162 | </p> |
| 148 | |
163 | |
| 149 | </body> |
164 | </body> |
| 150 | </section> |
165 | </section> |
| 151 | </chapter> |
166 | </chapter> |
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