der Mouse sez:
/*
 * > struct diskaccess da[1];	/* contains a struct diskpart */
 * > da->disk="sd0";
 * > fd=open("/dev/diskpart", O_RDWR)
 * > ioctl(fd, DKIOCGDTAB, &da);
 * 
 * > and the diskpart driver would automagically handle the routing.
 * 
 * The first problem that comes to mind with this is that it means that
 * anyone who can open /dev/diskpart for read or write can read or write
 * *any* disk's partition table.

Possible responses:

1. "No, you're reading more into what I wrote than what is there.  I
    was trying to imply 'O_RDWR or O_RDONLY as appropriate.'  Got lost
    somewhere in there, sorry."

2. "So have permission bits in there somewhere."

Okay, okay, that's a hack, I admit it.  But you've gotta admit that there's
a certain degree of elegance in being able to do it this way:

	- you only need one more device.
	- the kernel side handles the routing.

 * 
 * I can easily see myself wanting to give random users the ability to
 * frob the partition table on /dev/sd3? (the zip drive) but being not
 * about to let them do likewise with sd[012]? (root, /usr, etc).

How about a check for the kind of drive it is, such as removable/fixed
media?  That's a pretty big (as in 'obvious') flag.  If you have a fixed
drive, it could refuse read-write to anyone not in the group owning
/dev/diskpart.

hack, kludge, wheeze, cough, okay, it's hokey.

But SOMETHING along these lines could be made to work, and work well.
The permission thing, is, however, a sticky wicket.

 * 					der Mouse
 * 
 * 			       mouse@rodents.montreal.qc.ca
 * 		     7D C8 61 52 5D E7 2D 39  4E F1 31 3E E8 B3 27 4B
 */





				--*greywolf;
--
Just because memory, disk and cpu speed are cheap is no excuse for
shoddy programming.