OCD programmers and backwards compatibility :-).

[Alan]

> Sounds like a better example of why linux should be more interested
> in backwards compatibility than it seems to be now. Why change the /dev
> names just because the underlying mechanism changes?

The /dev names are not set by the kernel but by convention. If you wish
to call your first SCSI disk /dev/wombat you can, and the kernel doesn't
mind at all.

> I can tell the only reason was a bunch of OCD programmers who broke
> into a sweat every time they saw a directory named /usr/X11R6 instead
> of /usr/share/X11 :-). The software worked just as well with either

They assumed anyone with an IQ of about 30 or higher could use "ln -s"