(was slashes, now NFS devices)

[Barry Shein]

I don't see the slightest ambiguity or confusion in how NFS should
interpret special device entries. Obviously they should be interpreted
relative to the local host only.

This is a network FILE system, not a network DEVICE system.

That one can think of times where it would be convenient to reference
/dev/tape and have it use the server's tape drive (eg) has nothing
whatsoever to do with NFS.

It's merely A NEAT IDEA that might almost work if the world were just
slightly different. NFS did its job: You opened the string "/dev/tape"
(or whatever) and your kernel got the major/minor numbers, protection
etc which is stored in the FILE SYSTEM.

Mapping that device elsewhere is just a whole other project.

Everyone arguing for this is utterly confusing possible utility with
intention and design goals. Local interpretation of device specials is
entirely consistent with NFS's design goals.

You can say that it would be handy to have this feature etc etc, but
calling NFS a kludge for not providing this is like calling grep a
kludge because it won't remove slashes from filenames. It's just
nonsense.

The proper (ahem/IMHBCO) approach to this is just another device type
in the file system (it could either be totally new, or just some sort
of new use of a pre-allocated major/minor) which means "I am a remote
device".

Given that you can deal with all the crap having to do with "remote on
what system?", and permissions and error handling and all that.

But just whacking it into NFS is the kludge.
-- 
        -Barry Shein

Software Tool & Die    | bzs at world.std.com          | uunet!world!bzs
Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 617-739-0202        | Login: 617-739-WRLD