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Patch: 2.5.62 devfs shrink

From:  "Adam J. Richter" <adam@yggdrasil.com>
To:  linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject:  Patch: 2.5.62 devfs shrink
Date:  Tue, 25 Feb 2003 02:23:18 -0800
Cc:  akpm@digeo.com, alistair@devzero.co.uk, cloos@jhcloos.com, elenstev@mesatop.com, jordan.breeding@attbi.com, maneesh@in.ibm.com, scole@lanl.gov, solarce@fallingsnow.net

	Here is an update to my patch to shrink devfs for linux-2.5.62.
The patch is a net deletion of 2407 lines.  It contains the following new
changes:

	- Maneesh Soni submitted a patch for operation with the
	  read-copy-update code, which was extremely good timing,
	  as that code apparently got integrated into 2.5.62.

	- Fixed a bug reported by Alistair Strachan where
	  pseudo-terminals could not be allocated by non-super-user
	  processes (devfs needed to set CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE in a couple
	  of places).

	- Restore the devfs=nomount option, to accomodate a distribution
	  compatability problem reported by Steven Cole.  devfs=nomount
	  suppresses the effect CONFIG_DEVFS_MOUNT--that is, mounting
	  of /dev before the kernel invokes /sbin/init.  Note: perhsps
	  we should eliminate CONFIG_DEVFS_MOUNT entirely.  I'll have
	  to check to see if it is needed by systems that boot directly
	  to a hardware device rather than to an initial ramdisk.


	Presumably because of the size of all of the "-" lines in the
patch, the linux-kernel mailing list filters it out, so I'll just post
a URL for it:

ftp://ftp.yggdrasil.com/pub/dist/device_control/devfs/smalldevfs-2.5.62-v10.patch

	Also, here is the URL for the latest devfs_helper user level
program (version 0.2, unchanged).  It is a reduced functionality
replacement for devfsd.

ftp://ftp.yggdrasil.com/pub/dist/device_control/devfs/devfs_helper-0.2.tar.gz


	I'll also describe my "to do" list for this software, in case
anyone spots something I've forgotten:

		- Submit a patch to the -mm kernels, as Andrew has been
		  kind enough to distribute this change in his -mm kernels.
		- Write a small FAQ list on moving from old devfs.
		- Remove CONFIG_DEVFS_MOUNT?
		- Probably request integration after linux-2.7.0.

Adam J. Richter     __     ______________   575 Oroville Road
adam@yggdrasil.com     \ /                  Milpitas, California 95035
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                         "Free Software For The Rest Of Us."
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