Todd Vierling <tv@netbsd.org> writes:

> 
> On Thu, 15 Jan 1998, Chris G. Demetriou wrote:
> 
> : Are you saying that you can run an old MAKEDEV with a new mknod now?
> : I don't think i've ever seen you indicate that.
> 
> Ah, okay.  No, I haven't indicated that, because I haven't yet chosen the
> path to take with mknod(8) and ls(1).  My current bias is (and my ls(1) is
> already coded for this in the test setup): 
> 
> - ls(1) prints devices in major-`unit'-`subunit' format (12/12/8 bits).  In
>   this arrangement, 16-bit device nodes show up as `0,major,minor'.

Of course, with my proposal, the old device numbers split correctly,
and this isn't a problem.  No need to teach ls(1) anything new.

> - mknod(8) will make 16-bit device nodes (or N bit device nodes, depending
>   on command line switches) if passed two numerical arguments.  It will make
>   32 bit device nodes if passed three numerical arguments in
>   `major unit subunit' format.

And no need to do this.  I especially wonder how many standards this
violates.


Again, you're making this more complicated than it needs to be.