string(M)                       19 June 1992                       string(M)


 Name

    string - access boot, configuration, or package string

 Description

    There are three string devices (the number in the first column is the
    string device's minor device number):

       1.  /dev/string/boot    Read/write access to the bootstring.
       2.  /dev/string/pkg     Read-only access to the package string.
       3.  /dev/string/cfg     Read-only access to the configuration string.

    The bootstring (bootstring) is the string built by /boot from user input
    and from /etc/default/boot.  The package string (pkgstring) lists what
    has been linked into the kernel at boot time.  The configuration string
    (cfgstring) is a concatenation of all the output from printcfg(K).

    The routines getbsvalue(K), getbsflag(K), getpkgvalue(K), and
    getpkgflag(K) provide an interface to /dev/string/boot and
    /dev/string/pkg.  /dev/string/cfg can only be accessed directly.

    Reading from the devices is non-blocking and non-destructive.

 See also

    boot(HW), cfgstart(K), close(S), getbsflag(K), getbsflag(S),
    getbsvalue(K), getbsvalue(S), getcfgline(K), getpkgvalue(K),
    getpkgvalue(S), getpkgflag(K), getpkgflag(S), open(S), printcfg(K),
    read(S), write(S)

    Device Drivers Writer's Guide

 Value added

    /dev/string is an extension of AT&T System V provided by The Santa Cruz
    Operation, Inc.