more than one inode per device?

[j.lee]

Running the /dev/MKDEV script on our system seems to invoke "mknod"
more than once using the same type/major/minor arguments with
different names.  This results in several different inodes being
assigned for the same device.  (Although sometimes it make hard links
instead.)

Obviously having multiple inodes with different owners and protections
could be useful at times -- but a security risk at others.  However,
in terms of the kernel, is this generally safe, or can some devices
get confused if openned and closed via more than one inode at once?
We don't have full source code, so I can't "use the source".  We
are running RiscOS 4.5[012].

Jeff Lee -- jlee at sobeco.com || jonah at cs.toronto.edu