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To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
From: "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@zytor.com>
Subject: Re: Linux/Pro  -- clusters
Date: 7 Dec 2001 19:42:47 -0800
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Followup to:  <UTC200112080150.BAA195557.aeb@cwi.nl>
By author:    Andries.Brouwer@cwi.nl
In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel
> 
> Yes and no. If I am not mistaken there are three details:
> 
> (i) Linus prefers to separate block and character devices.
> I agree that that makes the code a bit cleaner, but dislike
> the code duplication: the interface to user space, the allocation,
> deallocation, registering is completely identical for the two.
> But apparently Linus does not mind a little bloat if that avoids
> an ugly cast in two or three places.
> 

I don't understand why you can't share this code.  The main reason for
having different types is so you don't mix them up -- they are
separante namespaces, and shouldn't be mixed up.  Having them be
different types makes the compiler enforce this.

If we were using C++ we could make a base class which contained the
common stuff.  As it is, perhaps a substructure would do it.

	-hpa
-- 
<hpa@transmeta.com> at work, <hpa@zytor.com> in private!
"Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot."
http://www.zytor.com/~hpa/puzzle.txt	<amsp@zytor.com>
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