NAME

makedev − make system special files

SYNOPSIS

/dev/MAKEDEV device-name? ... 

DESCRIPTION

MAKEDEV is a shell script 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 4 of the manual and ? is a logical unit number (0-9).  A few special arguments create assorted collections of devices and are listed below. 

std Create the standard devices for the system; e.g. /dev/console, /dev/tty. 

local Create those devices specific to the local site.  This request causes the shell file /dev/MAKEDEV.local to be executed.  Site-specific commands, such as those used to setup dialup lines as ttyd?, should be included in this file.

displays
Create all the console display devices.

conttys
Create a tty device for each console display. 

mice Create all planar mouse/tablet input devices. 

X Create the devices needed by the X window manager; e.g. conttys, mice, and displays. 

floorstand
Create devices for standard configuration for the floorstand configuration.

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

DIAGNOSTICS

Diagnostics are either self-explanatory or generated by one of the programs called from the script.  Use “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, naming conflicts arise. 

PRPQs 5799-WZQ/5799-PFF: IBM/4.3  —  15 Dec 1986