Re: On links and things (LONG)
> Accepting that we will keep all the traditional /dev entries, then I
> think that we should use links in /dev for modem and mouse. That way
> configuration files can be distributed for all packages which use the
> modem or mouse which will not need to be changed on installation, nor if
> the devices are re-organised.
IMHO, the concept of "/dev/modem" is fundmentally flawed. It implies
that a system has only one modem. While this may be the case on most
PCs, it's certainly not *limited* to one modem. Nor do I see the need
for a link (symbolic or otherwise) in /dev named that. Newbiew ex-DOS
users are used to having to tell software where their modem is (after
all, they had to tell Telix that it was COM2 in order to download
debian in the first plae, right?).
"/dev/mouse" is only likely to be used with either X386 or selection.
In the case of X386, there's no way to automate the generation of an
Xconfig, so forcing people to figure out which serial port they've got
their mouse on and type "Mouse = /dev/ttyS2" is not a hardship.
As for selection... *shrug*. The package install script prompts for
the serial port once, enters it into the rc file, and everybody's
happy.
I don't see that /dev/mouse buys anyone much of anything. And it
complicates matters, because people new to Unix might well assume that
the "/dev/mouse" will automagically get updated if they move their mouse
around.
--
/~> Ian McCloghrie | FLUG: FurryMUCK Linux User's Group
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