CLONE(7)                             SysV                             CLONE(7)



NAME
     clone - open any minor device on a STREAMS driver

DESCRIPTION
     A device node corresponding to a STREAMS device may have the high bit of
     its minor device number set to 1 (256 decimal and higher, the minor
     device number is a 9-bit quantity); this indicates a cloneable device.

     An open(2) system call on a cloneable device opens a Stream to an unused
     minor device.  The driver corresponding to the device node must recognize
     and respond correctly to a clone open.

     On SysV, the clone facility is not implemented as a separate driver and
     corresponding device node(s).  Cloning is only possible with STREAMS
     drivers.

CAVEATS
     Multiple opens of the same minor device cannot be done through the clone
     interface.

SEE ALSO
     log(7)
     Programming with SysV STREAMS, for a discussion of the clone mechanism.