mdevice(4) UNIX System V mdevice(4)
NAME
mdevice - file format.
SYNOPSIS
mdevice
DESCRIPTION
The mdevice file is included in the directory /etc/conf/cf.d. It
includes a one-line description of each device driver and configurable
software module in the system to be built [except for file system types,
see mfsys(4)]. Each line in mdevice represents the Master file component
from a Driver Software Package (DSP) either delivered with the base
system or installed later via idinstall.
Each line contains several white space-separated fields; they are
described below. Each field must be supplied with a value or a '-'
(dash). See the individual driver manual pages for information on the
values for specific fields.
Device name:
This field is the internal name of the device or module, and
may be up to 8 characters long. The first character of the
name must be an alphabetic character; the others may be
letters, digits, or underscores.
Function list:
This field is a string of characters that identify driver
functions that are present. Using one of the characters below
requires the driver to have an entry point (function) of the
type indicated. If no functions in the following list are
supplied, the field should contain a dash.
o - open routine
c - close routine
r - read routine
w - write routine
i - ioctl routine
s - startup routine
x - exit routine
f - fork routine
e - exec routine
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mdevice(4) UNIX System V mdevice(4)
I - init routine
h - halt routine
p - poll routine
E - kenter routine
X - kexit routine
Note that if the device is a 'block' type device (see field 3.
below), a strategy routine and a print routine are required by
default.
Characteristics of driver:
This field contains a set of characters that indicate the
characteristics of the driver. If none of the characters below
apply, the field should contain a dash. The legal characters
for this field are:
i - The device driver is installable.
c - The device is a 'character' device.
b - The device is a 'block' device.
[b/c] - For indicating which device nodes belong to
which major. See idmknod.
f - The device is DDI/DKI conformant.
t - The device is a tty.
o - This device may have only one sdevice entry.
r - This device is required in all configurations of the Kernel.
This option is intended for drivers delivered with the
base system only. Device nodes (special files in the
/dev directory), once made for this device, are never
removed. See idmknod.
u - This letter accompanying an 'M' would ensure that the
driver will get major numbers starting at the same
number for both block and character "multiple majors".
S - This device driver is a STREAMS module.
H - This device driver controls hardware.
This option distinguishes drivers that support hardware
from those that are entirely software (pseudo-devices).
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mdevice(4) UNIX System V mdevice(4)
G - This device does not use an interrupt though an interrupt
is specified in the sdevice entry. This is used when
you wish to associate a device to a specific device
group.
D - This option indicates that the device driver can share its
DMA channel.
M - This option indicates that the device requires
multiple major numbers.
O - This option indicates that the IOA range of this device may
overlap that of another device.
Handler prefix:
This field contains the character string prepended to all the
externally-known handler routines associated with this driver.
The string may be up to 4 characters long.
Block Major number:
This field should be set to zero in a DSP Master file. If the
device is a 'block' type device, a value will be assigned by
idinstall during installation. For devices having multiple
major numbers this field is used to specify the "range" of
major numbers. (e.g., range 3-6 is interpreted as four major
numbers between 3-6 inclusive).
Character Major number:
This field should be set to zero in a DSP Master file. If the
device is a 'character' type device (or 'STREAMS' type), a
value will be assigned by idinstall during installation. For
devices having multiple major numbers this field is used to
specify the "range" of major numbers. (e.g., range 3-6 is
interpreted as four major numbers between 3-6 inclusive).
Minimum units:
This field is an integer specifying the minimum number of these
devices that can be specified in the sdevice file.
Maximum units:
This field specifies the maximum number of these devices that
may be specified in the sdevice file. It contains an integer.
DMA channel:
This field contains an integer that specifies the DMA channel
to be used by this device. If the device does not use DMA,
place a '-1' in this field. Note that more than one device can
share a DMA channel (previously disallowed).
SPECIFYING STREAMS DEVICES AND MODULES
STREAMS modules and drivers are treated in a slightly different way from
other drivers in all UNIX Systems, and their configuration reflects this
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mdevice(4) UNIX System V mdevice(4)
difference. To specify a STREAMS device driver, its mdevice entry should
contain both an 'S' and a 'c' in the characteristics field (see 3.
above). This indicates that it is a STREAMS driver and that it requires
an entry in the UNIX kernel's cdevsw table, where STREAMS drivers are
normally configured into the system.
A STREAMS module that is not a device driver, such as a line discipline
module, requires an 'S' in the characteristics field of its mdevice file
entry, but should not include a 'c', as a device driver does.
SEE ALSO
mfsys(4), sdevice(4).
idinstall(1m) in the System Administrator's Reference Manual.
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