NAME
mknod — create special files
SYNOPSIS
/sbin/mknod
name
c
major
minor
/sbin/mknod
name
b
major
minor
/sbin/mknod
name
p
DESCRIPTION
The
mknod
command creates the following types of files:
Character device special file (first
SYNOPSIS
form),
Block device special file (second
SYNOPSIS
form),
FIFO file, sometimes called a named pipe (third
SYNOPSIS
form).
name
is the path name of the file to be created.
The newly created file has a default mode that is
readable and writable by all users (0666),
but the mode is modified by the current setting of the user's file mode
creation mask (see
umask(1)).
Character and Block Special Files
Character device special files are used for devices that
can transfer single bytes at a time,
such as nine-track magnetic tape drives,
printers, plotters, disk drives operating in "raw" mode, and terminals.
To create a character special file, use the
c
argument.
Block device special files are used for devices
that usually transfer a block of data at a time, such as disk drives.
To create a block device special file, use the
b
argument.
The remaining arguments specify the device
that will be accessible through the new special file:
- major
The major number specifies the major device type
(for example, the device driver number).
- minor
The minor number specifies the device location,
which is typically, but not always,
the unit, drive, and/or line number.
The
major
and
minor
values can each be specified in hexadecimal, octal, or decimal,
using C language conventions
(decimal: no leading zero;
octal: leading zero;
hexadecimal: leading
0x).
The assignment of major and minor device numbers
is specific to each HP-UX system.
Refer to the System Administrator manuals
supplied with your system for details.
Only users who have
appropriate privileges
can use
mknod
to create a character or block device special file.
FIFO files
To create a FIFO (named pipe or buffer) file, use the
p
argument.
You can also use the
mkfifo
command for this purpose (see
mkfifo(1)).
All users can use
mknod
to create FIFO files.
WARNINGS
Access Control Lists
In HFS file systems, optional ACL entries can be added to special
files and FIFOs with the
chacl
command (see
chacl(1)).
In JFS file systems, optional ACL entries can be added to
special files and FIFOs with the
setacl
command (see
setacl(1)).
However, system programs are likely to silently change
or eliminate the optional ACL entries for these files.
SEE ALSO
chacl(1),
mkdir(1),
mkfifo(1),
setacl(1),
umask(1),
lsdev(1M),
sam(1M),
mknod(2),
acl(5),
aclv(5),
mknod(5).
HP-UX System Administrator manuals
STANDARDS CONFORMANCE
mknod: SVID2, SVID3, XPG2
Printable version
