[PATCH 00/10] Enhance /dev/mem to allow read/write of arbitrary physical addresses

On Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 09:02:17AM +1000, Ryan Mallon wrote:

There are drivers where this makes sense. For example an FPGA device  
with a proprietary register layout on the memory bus can be done this  
way. The FPGA can simply be mapped in user-space via /dev/mem and  
handled there. If the device requires no access other than memory bus  
reads and writes then writing a custom char device driver just to get an  
mmap function seems a bit overkill.

Calling a 30 line device driver "overkill" might in itself be overkill?

-- 
Matthew Wilcox				Intel Open Source Technology Centre
"Bill, look, we understand that you're interested in selling us this
operating system, but compare it to ours.  We can't possibly take such
a retrograde step."