mknod(1M)                                                         mknod(1M)




 NAME    [Toc]    [Back]
      mknod - create special files

 SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]
      /sbin/mknod name c major minor

      /sbin/mknod name b major minor

      /sbin/mknod name p

 DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]
      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    [Toc]    [Back]
      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.




 Hewlett-Packard Company            - 1 -   HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003






 mknod(1M)                                                         mknod(1M)




      Only users who have appropriate privileges can use mknod to create a
      character or block device special file.

    FIFO files    [Toc]    [Back]
      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    [Toc]    [Back]
    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    [Toc]    [Back]
      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    [Toc]    [Back]
      mknod: SVID2, SVID3, XPG2


 Hewlett-Packard Company            - 2 -   HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003