NAME

makedev − make system special files

SYNOPSIS

/dev/MAKEDEV devices

DESCRIPTION

MAKEDEV is a shell script normally used to install special files.  It resides in the /dev directory, as this is 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 the Section 4 man pages in the Programmer’s Reference Manual, and ? is a logical unit number (0-9). 

Two special arguments create assorted collections of devices, as follows:

std Creates the “standard” devices for the system,  e.g., /dev/console, /dev/tty. 

local Creates those devices specific to the local site.  This request executes the shell file /dev/MAKEDEV.local.  Site-specific commands (such as those used to set up dialup lines as “ttyd?”) should be included in this file. 

Since all devices are created using mknod(8), this shell script is useful only to the super-user. 

DIAGNOSTICS

Messages are either self-explanatory, or are generated by one of the programs called from the script.  Enter sh -x MAKEDEV in case of trouble. 

SEE ALSO

intro(4), config(8), mknod(8)

BUGS

When more than one piece of hardware of the same kind is present on a machine (for instance, a dh and a dmf), naming conflicts arise. 

4th Berkeley Distribution  —  1 August 1985