Raw vs. block device. I'm confused.

[clark.wbst at PARC-MAXC.ARPA]

A raw device does not go through the buffer pool... this has some side effects
like you have to read and write in integer multiples of physical blocks 
(sectors), starting on block boundries.  Also, a raw file system is defined in
terms of sectors - an offset and a length.  I do not THINK there is anything
to prevent you from going beyond there and tromping on the next file system.

--Ray