Re: misc/60564: live image has legacy pty /dev nodes despite using ptyfs

The following reply was made to PR misc/60564; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: Martin Husemann <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Cc: 
Subject: Re: misc/60564: live image has legacy pty /dev nodes despite using
 ptyfs
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:00:12 +0200

 On Sun, Aug 09, 2026 at 10:30:00PM +0000, [email protected] via gnats wrote:
 > 	Perhaps it is reasonable to use legacy pty nodes in installer
 > 	images though I suspect it would be better to just mount ptyfs.
 
 We don't always have mount_ptyfs(8) available in those images.
 
 > 	I seem to recall the legacy pty nodes have security issues
 > 	(though I forget what they are -- should document them in the
 > 	pty(4) man page) and cause trouble of various kinds.
 
 Yes, but only in multi user mode, so hardly an issue on install images.
 
 But I agree that USB and full CD images should prefer ptyfs over legacy
 pty nodes. Also the tmpfs /dev created by init if it does not find a
 working /dev/console should be ptyfs based (maybe by making MAKEDEV
 a bit smarter and e.g. check if /sbin/mount_ptyfs exists?)
 
 Martin