NAME

MAKEDEV − makes system special files

SYNOPSIS

/dev/MAKEDEV [argument] [device-name?...]

DESCRIPTION

The MAKEDEV shell script is normally used to install special files. It resides in the /dev directory, the normal location of special files. Arguments to MAKEDEV are usually of the form device-name? where device-name is one of the supported devices listed in Section 7 of the Reference Pages and ? is a logical unit number. The argument operand is one of the following special arguments that create assorted collections of devices:

stdCreates all standard device files for all systems. 

Standard devices for Alpha systems (in the order they are created) are as follows: klog, kcon, kbinlog, kmem, mem, null, vmzcore, console, ws0, mouse0, keyboard0, tty, pty0, pty1, ptmx, cam, audit, prf, pfcntr, zero, snmpinfo, lockdev, and sysdev0. 

latnCreates a set of 16 LAT device special files, one for each LAT terminal device. The n specifies the set option. The set option range is 0 to 38. Specifying lat38 creates 12 LAT device special files. 

PTY_#
Creates groups of pseudoterminal device special files, as follows:

PTY_1Creates pty0 to pty22. 

PTY_2Creates pty23 to pty45. 

PTY_3Creates pty46 to pty56. 

PTY_4Creates pty57 to pty64. 

PTY_5Creates pty65 to pty72. 

PTY_6Creates pty73 to pty80. 

PTY_7Creates pty81 to pty88. 

PTY_8Creates pty89 to pty96. 

PTY_9Creates pty97 to pty101. 

The # specifies the group of pseudoterminal device special files created. 

pfilt#Creates a group of packet filter device special files, as follows:

pfiltCreates pfilt0 to pfilt63. 

pfilt64Creates pfilt0 to pfilt63. 

pfilt128Creates pfilt0 to pfilt127. 

pfilt256Creates pfilt0 to pfilt255. 

pfilt512Creates pfilt0 to pfilt511. 

pfilt1024
Creates pfilt0 to pfilt1023. 

pfilt2048
Creates pfilt0 to pfilt2047. 

pfilt3072
Creates pfilt0 to pfilt3071. 

pfilt4096
Creates pfilt0 to pfilt4095. 

The # specifies the number of ppacket filter device special files created. 

localCreates those devices specific to the local site.  This request causes the shell file /dev/MAKEDEV.local to be executed.  This file must exist prior to using the local argument. Site specific commands, such as those used to setup dialup lines as ttyd? and to create device special files for third-party devices, should be included in this file. 

Because all devices are created using mknod(8) this shell script is useful only to the superuser. 

NOTES

The MAKEDEV script installs files in the current working directory. Although device special files can be located anywhere on the system, they are usually created in the /dev directory, since this is where most applications expect to find them. 

Refer to the dsfmgr(8) reference page for information on the Device Special File Manager program. 

ERRORS

Either self-explanatory, or generated by one of the programs called from the script.  Use sh -x MAKEDEV in case of trouble. 

SEE ALSO

Commands: config(8), dsfmgr(8), mknod(8)

Interfaces: intro(7), packetfilter(7), pty(7)