FS utils treates directories as files?

[Tim Kientzle]

Thomas Backman wrote:
> FreeBSD 8.0-CURRENT r193521 (Jun 5), bash:
> [root at chaos /usr/ports]# cat /
> �g��=[root at chaos /usr/ports]#
> 
> Mac OS X 10.5, bash:
> serenity at macbookpro ~ $ cat /
> cat: /: Is a directory
> 
> Linux, bash:
> (21:34) serenity at exscape ~ $ cat /
> cat: /: Is a directory
> 
> The same applies to most FS utilities. Is this a feature or not? I find 
> it pretty darn weird.

Back in the old days when file systems were
simpler this was maybe a feature, since you
could fix FS corruption using a hex editor on
the raw directory.  But then again, people
used to kill mammoths with sharpened sticks.

If you have patches, please send them along.
(I would really appreciate a "less" that was
smart enough to generate directory listings.)

Cheers,

Tim