NAME

mknod − Creates a special file

SYNOPSIS

/usr/sbin/mknod special_file [ b major_device# minor_device# |  c major_device# minor_device#]

/usr/sbin/mknod filename p

DESCRIPTION

The mknod command makes a directory entry.  The first argument is the name of the special device file.  Select a name that is descriptive of the device. 

The mknod command has two forms.  In the first form, the second argument is the b or c flag.  The last two arguments are numbers specifying the major_device, which helps the operating system find the device driver code, and the minor_device, the unit drive, or line number, which may be either decimal or octal. 

The assignment of major device numbers is specific to each system.  You can determine the device numbers by examining the conf.c system source file.  If you change the contents of the conf.c file to add a device driver, you must rebuild the kernel. 

In the second form of mknod, you use the p flag to create named pipes (FIFOs). 

Only the superuser can create a character or device special file. 

FLAGS

bIndicates that the special file corresponds to a block-oriented device (disk or tape)

cIndicates that the special file corresponds to a character-oriented device

pCreates named pipes (FIFOs)

EXAMPLES

     1.To create the special file for a new drive, /dev/ra2, with a major device number of 1 and a minor device number of 2, enter:

mknod /dev/ra2 b  1  2

This command creates the special file, /dev/ra2, which is a block special file with major device number 1 and minor device number 2. 

     2.To create a pipe named fifo, enter:

mknod fifo p

This command creates the pipe fifo, which is not necessarily in the current directory. 

FILES

/usr/sbin/mknod
Specifies the command path

conf.cSpecifies the system device numbers specification file