Linux 2.4.21-rc3, writing to /dev/console returns ESPIPE

[Mitch (Mitch@0Bits.COM)]

Hi,

With 21-rc3, syslogd (sysklogd package)  stopped writing
messages to  /dev/console anymore. In the log files i see:

	May 25 11:14:19 core syslogd: /dev/console: Illegal seek
	May 25 11:14:19 core syslogd 1.4.1: restart (remote reception).

And strace  shows
# strace echo foo >/dev/console

	write(1, "foo\n", 4)                    = -1 ESPIPE (Illegal seek)
	close(1)                                = 0
	munmap(0x40016000, 4096)                = 0
	write(2, "echo: ", 6echo: )             = 6
	write(2, "write error", 11write error)  = 11
	write(2, "\n", 1)                       = 1
	_exit(1)                                = ?

We all understand that /dev/console can't be seeked, but it shouldn't
be so strict in enforcing this or else syslogd and friends will fail
to work. Unfortunately Linux doesn't have a pwritev() to not update
the file pointer.

The checkin on linux-2.4.21-rc3/drivers/char/tty_io.c

+       /* Can't seek (pwrite) on ttys.  */
+       if (ppos != &file->f_pos)
+               return -ESPIPE;

should not be there in my opinion.

Comments ?
Mitch

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