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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!proper!gam
From: gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Minor device numbers: too small!
Message-ID: <1096@proper.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Apr-84 00:18:11 EST
Article-I.D.: proper.1096
Posted: Wed Apr  4 00:18:11 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Mar-84 02:24:10 EST
Organization: Proper UNIX, Oakland, CA
Lines: 8
Keywords: minor device number,terminals,future Unix releases

@
The minor device number is stored as a char.  This limits the number
of particular devices (eg, terminals) to 256.  If you have many tty's
this can clearly be a problem.

Have others encountered this limitation?  How have you dealt with it?
Anyone know if future releases of Unix will overcome this limit (in
a standard way)?