Messages in this thread | | | Date | Tue, 8 Nov 2005 19:33:39 +0100 | From | Jörn Engel <> | Subject | Re: [PATCH 06/25] mtd: move ioctl32 code to mtdchar.c |
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On Tue, 8 November 2005 11:10:27 -0700, Eric W. Biederman wrote: > Jörn Engel <joern@wohnheim.fh-wedel.de> writes: > > > Moving crap over to mtdchar.c is a good thing. Complete removal of > > mtdchar.c might be even better, but at least the crap is relatively > > self-contained now. > > Agreed moving the compat_ioctl to mtdchar now that it is possible > sounds good. > > I can see that argument with respect to mtdblock. But why would > removal of mtdchar be a good thing? It is a simple raw access > interface. For those whose flash parts are too small for a filesystem > or when you are doing things that you can't do with a filesystem > like making or checking it you need something like mtd char. For > embedded folks who don't care you can just compile it out.
mtdchar.c is one of the worst drivers inside the kernel. The concept of having a simple char device driver for flash may have its charm, but the actual implementation is horrible. And things like the read-only devices are even unfixable.
mtdblock.c, while being quite a bit more complicated, does not require a ton of ioctls, will not confuse users with minor number 7 actually being device number 3 and magically being read-only despite unix permissions and hardware properties. Plus, it is just a file.
Can you name a few examples, where mtdchar.c makes sense? I've found it to be quite useless.
Jörn
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