devfs RE: [plug] Backup of a disk

[Matt Kemner]

On Fri, 14 Apr 2000, Earnshaw, Mike wrote:

> Would someone mind explaining if this ability to change the fs structure is
> a good or bad thing? I only see the advantage of it being dynamic,

The main advantage, as far as I can see, is that it keeps track of your
SCSI disks, so that if you add a device to the SCSI chain, it doesn't
reshuffle all the disk IDs, which it does with the current system.

It also allows for more than 16(?) SCSI devices.

> so I won't have upteem /sdX when I don't have any SCSI devices.

You are more than welcome to delete /dev/sd* if you don't anticipate ever
using them any time soon.. They can be recreated easily with /dev/MAKEDEV
anytime.

 - Matt