Messages in this thread | | | Date | Mon, 07 Jun 1999 08:39:27 -0700 | From | "H. Peter Anvin" <> | Subject | Re: Migrating to larger numbers |
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Alan Cox wrote: > > > If the dev is too big for the current format, stick -1 in the > > block pointer used by the current format, and use the N (for > > 1 <= N <= 4, depending on the filesystem) subsequent block > > pointers to hold the real device number.) > > > > I suggest, as you say, a 32:32 split (it's simple). > > 64bit dev_t's are going to cause some real problems. I would suggest you > try passing a 64bit dev_t over NFS - especially to non unix clients before > you do this. > > If you go to a 64bit dev_t you will have to do hackish horrors for NFS support > even Linux to Linux. Stay with a 32bit dev_t, supporting more device files > than we can create 1 a second within our epoch is crazy >
Not really... some devices have a legitimate need for a sparse minor number space. I'd be interested in how HP/UX deals with this; they've had a fairly large dev_t for aeons.
-hpa
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