xref: /csrg-svn/sbin/mknod/mknod.8 (revision 65103)
161501Sbostic.\" Copyright (c) 1980, 1991, 1993
261501Sbostic.\"	The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
318889Smckusick.\"
447463Scael.\" %sccs.include.redist.man%
518889Smckusick.\"
6*65103Smckusick.\"     @(#)mknod.8	8.2 (Berkeley) 12/11/93
747463Scael.\"
847463Scael.Dd
947463Scael.Dt MKNOD 8
1047463Scael.Os BSD 4
1147463Scael.Sh NAME
1247463Scael.Nm mknod
1347463Scael.Nd build special file
1447463Scael.Sh SYNOPSIS
1547463Scael.Nm mknod
1647463Scael.Ar name
1747463Scael.Op Cm c | Cm b
1847463Scael.Ar major minor
1947463Scael.Sh DESCRIPTION
2047463ScaelThe
2147463Scael.Nm mknod
2247463Scaelcommand creates device special files.
2347463ScaelNormally the shell script
2447463Scael.Pa /dev/MAKEDEV
2547463Scaelis used to create special files for commonly known devices; it executes
2647463Scael.Nm mknod
2747463Scaelwith the appropriate arguments and can make all the files required for the
2847463Scaeldevice.
2947463Scael.Pp
3047463ScaelTo make nodes manually, the four required arguments are:
3147463Scael.Pp
3247463Scael.Bl -tag -width majorx
3347463Scael.It Ar name
3447463ScaelDevice name, for example
3547463Scael.Dq sd
3647463Scaelfor a SCSI disk on an HP300 or a
3747463Scael.Dq pty
3847463Scaelfor pseudo-devices.
3947463Scael.It Cm b | Cm c
4047463ScaelType of device. If the
4147463Scaeldevice is a block type device such as a tape or disk drive which needs
4247463Scaelboth cooked and raw special files,
4347463Scaelthe type is
4447463Scael.Cm b .
4547463ScaelAll other devices are character type devices, such as terminal
46*65103Smckusickand pseudo devices, and are type
4747463Scael.Cm c .
4847463Scael.It Ar major
4947463ScaelThe major device number is an integer number which tells the kernel
5047463Scaelwhich device driver entry point to use.  To learn what
5147463Scaelmajor device number to use for a particular device, check the file
5247463Scael.Pa /dev/MAKEDEV
5347463Scaelto see if the device is known, or check
5447463Scaelthe system dependent device configuration file:
5547463Scael.Bd -filled -offset indent
5647463Scael.Dq Pa /usr/src/sys/conf/device. Ns Em architecture
5747463Scael.Ed
5847463Scael.Pp
5947463Scael(for example
6047463Scael.Pa device.hp300 ) .
6147463Scael.It Ar minor
6247463ScaelThe minor device number tells the kernel which subunit
6347463Scaelthe node corresponds to on the device; for example,
6447463Scaela subunit may be a filesystem partition
6547463Scaelor a tty line.
6647463Scael.El
6747463Scael.Sh SEE ALSO
6847463Scael.Xr mknod 2 ,
6947463Scael.Xr makedev 8
7047463Scael.Sh HISTORY
7147463ScaelA
7247463Scael.Nm
7347463Scaelcommand appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.
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