[H-GEN] Re: Unix vs NT [long; both informative and then relig ious]

[Gearon, Paul]

(Note reply-to: being general at humbug.org.au vs "Gearon, Paul" <pgea at qcom.com.au>)

> /proc is a ``special'' filesystem -- the ``files'' within it are
> directly linked to kernel driver code; when you write a kernel driver,
> you typically provide a read (and maybe a write) method for a file in
> /proc.
> 
> So, when you echo 1 into that file, you are not actually creating a
> file, or modifying the contents of a file, but rather you are writing
> a value to a function in kernelspace.  This may sound arcane and
> kludgy, but consider how easy it is to talk to device drivers in NT.
> From a developers point of view (and yes, I have done kernel driver
> development) this is a beautiful model.
> 
Arcane and kludgy???  As opposed to what?  It's pretty much the same
interface as for the stuff found in /dev.  MS supposedly provide a "modern"
interface, but under DOS/Windows try the command "type CLOCK$" and you'll
see that mapping device drivers to handle file io is still alive and well.

As a driver developer (which I haven't done for a little while) I agree with
you that this is a beautiful model.  As a user I I think it is as well.
After all, I can access most resources in my system with a consistent
interface.

Hmmm, maybe I should rant less and sleep more  :^)

Regards,
Paul
Paul Gearon
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane
mittam.  (Translation from latin: "I have a catapult. Give me all the money,
or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.") 



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