ftp.nice.ch/pub/next/unix/disk/Fd.README

This is the README for Fd.IHS.s.tar.gz [Download] [Browse] [Up]

This is an Fd driver that reflects some work I did in 1982. Back then
people laughed at how inefficient it was. Well, now it is my turn to
laugh because this is the only way to do this now that NeXT has taken
4.4isms and put them incompletly into NS3.3.

Mwahahahahahahahahahaaaa!!!!

In order to get around this problem of not taking the new features in their
entirety, the fd driver has one (of several?) limits, one can not `dup' the
same descriptor (ie: echo mama >/dev/stdout), but you UNIX gurus can figure out
that isn't a major limit at all (except for test suites, like Test.sh).

If you don't know what an Fd driver is, you don't need it (maybe I sound a
bit too cocky, sorry, but that doesn't alter the statement). If you think that
an fd is a Floppy Disk, well, get mad at UNIX minimalism, it is really a
File Descriptor.

To install this package, run `make install' as root, then run the Configure.app
to add it to your system. This driver only makes the first 16 File
Descriptors, we have found a bug in NS3.3 patched that when you do a
`/usr/etc/mknod /dev/fd/16 c 1 16', the system panics and leaves a mouse
dropping in the file system that will cause subsequent panics for backups. May
Gohd have mercy on my current soul (see clri README). You can increase the
number of file descriptors in the PostLoader if you feel comfortable that
your system configuration stays away from the dangerous character major
numbers such as above.

Any problems, be sure to email me at mark@bohica.net. If you like this
driver, contact me to renumerate me for my efforts. You will no doubt
appreciate my Mux Serial Driver or the ScanFx Colour Scanner driver, so you
should like this one.

Look forward to the Reveal TV-500 TV in a window driver (or rather, wish me
luck) when time prevails ...

Yours Truly -- Mark Salyzyn

These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Netfuture.ch.