MAKEDEV(8)

NAME
makedev - make system special files

SYNOPSIS
MAKEDEV device ...

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 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; for example the standard UNIX devices /dev/console and /dev/tty; the standard hardware dependent devices, for example in the VAX family the VAX-11/780 console floppy device, /dev/floppy, and VAX-11/750 and VAX-11/730 console cassette device(s), /dev/tu? devices would be made for the appropriate system.

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.

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

DIAGNOSTICS
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)

HISTORY
The makedev command appeared in 4.2BSD.