[Info-vax] openvms and xterm

[Dan Cross]

In article <MPG.40a3022658647d279896e1 at news.zx.net.nz>,
David Goodwin  <david+usenet at zx.net.nz> wrote:
>In article <v16nsc$1gbho$2 at dont-email.me>, ldo at nz.invalid says...
>>[snip]
>Why does Unix need a text file to store information about mount points? 

Just a minor technical point, but it doesn't really _need_ to
per se.  The kernel will traverse mount points just fine
regardless of whether the list of currently mounted filesystems
is in mtab or not.  That file exists purely for the convenience
of userspace utilities.

Of course, that said, there's no system call to retrieve the set
of mounted filesystems.  Maybe there should have been.  Dunno.

>[snip]
>I'm still not entirely sure what the point of this discussion is. Is 
>there some point you're trying to make here or are we just trying to 
>find the differences between two operating systems?

This.  The person you're responding to is not only disingenuous,
but I would argue a rather blatant crank.  His MO seems to be to
make some specious observation and offer that as "proof" that a
conclusion he has chosen to draw is fact.  He then argues it
over and over again, asserting the same things without building
any supporting basis for his claims.  (The stuff on his web page
about mathematics is even worse.)

My suggestion is to just ignore him.

	- Dan C.