Re: kern/41189: kernel panic xen dom0 using mke2fs & WAPBL

[yamt%mwd.biglobe.ne.jp@localhost (YAMAMOTO Takashi)]

hi,

> I should have been clearer. Have a look at the bigger picture.
> 
> - We have longstanding problems with device nodes showing up in multiple
>   file systems. For 6.0 we have devfs coming along, which will at some point
>   in its development likely eliminate the need to support device nodes on
>   other file systems. So devfs will give us a 1:1 mapping between device
>   instances and vnodes (or maybe devfs inodes).

i don't think devfs is necessary here.
just giving up updating timestamps of mounted VBLK special files is enough.

> - We have longstanding problems providing block device semantics. Block
>   devices are an interesting toy but they have no real application. Disk
>   character devices suffice with one exception: on NetBSD, transfers on
>   these devices must be aligned. So there is no need for physio to cache,
>   it could simply buffer to allow misaligned transfers.

are there applications of the misaligned transfers?

YAMAMOTO Takashi