> - They all send the same signal, but with a magic identifier somewhere
>    in the stuff that gets passed to the signal handler.

You mean, the signal "code" parameter, where we already pass auxiliary
signal information (albeit only for traps)?

> - They don't kick init directly; instead, they cause the kernel to
>    hand-craft a new process, which execs an executable appropriate to
>    the key hit.  If the executable doesn't exist, the key is
>    effectively ignored.  (This executable may, if it wants, kick init,
>    in any of numerous ways.)

Too Much Magic. Even one hand-crafted process has always felt like too
many.

        - Nathan