make /dev/pci really readable

[John-Mark Gurney]

Scott Long wrote this message on Mon, Jun 16, 2003 at 15:51 -0600:
> John-Mark Gurney wrote:
> >hmmm.  are you sure about this?  wouldn't it mean that by simply probing
> >for a device you could end up locking up the system? 
> >
> 
> The first 64 bytes in the space is likely safe, from bytes 65-255 it is
> entirely vendor specific.

ok, agreed..  Dare I ask that we let normal users read the first 64
bytes? and require write permissions to read about 64? :)  just kidding..

> I'll not argue your development practices.  However, I don't see it as
> unreasonable to ask that driver writers who are going to need root
> access to do their work anyways (modifying files, compiling kernels
> and/or loading modules) also use root to access the pci registers from
> userland.

everything up to the loading modules I like to do as normal user..

> I seem to remember Linx having a similar feature a few years ago and
> naive sysadmins getting into serious trouble by pointing their tape
> backups at the /proc/pci directory.

:) well, lucky for use /dev/pci doesn't have a write interface.. :)

-- 
  John-Mark Gurney				Voice: +1 415 225 5579

     "All that I will do, has been done, All that I have, has not."