>>>>> "MR" == "Michael C Richardson" <mcr@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca> writes:

MR>   I'd also like to suggest that 16 bits for the major number is over
MR> doing it. I can understand 8 getting a bit tight in exceptional
MR> conditions, but 12 ought to it. I suggest major numbers are 8 or 12
MR> bits in size, and the rest is minor numbers.

Solaris and IRIX use a 10-bit major number with 22-bit minor numbers.
That seems to work just fine, so I'd suggest we use this existing
practice.

They also use a makedevice() macro instead of makedev().  (makedev()
makes the old compatibility-sized device numbers, makedevice() creates
full-sized device numbers)

==John