Background: New devfs (as of 2.4.17) is much more strict about creating/registering files. It will refuse to do anything if node with the same name already exists.
It means that it may happen that when you restore files from /lib/dev-state it will prevent some files/link being made. With any effect on system whatever. To avoid it new devfs/devfsd do not save any links/files created by devfsd and its children to ensure that /dev is always in "clean" state. But if you have updated from older versions your /lib/dev-state contains tons of entries that may be inappropriately put back by devfsd. Devfsd *will* save and restore symlink or other files explicitly created by users in /dev (do not do it in /lib/dev-state directly). It also will save permissions/owner changes as usual. So if you have any custom link like /dev/dvd or /dev/modem they are preserved. You just have to recreate them once. Now if you tell me it is too fragile I wholeheartedly agree. -andrej
