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NAME
intro - introduction to special files
DESCRIPTION
This section describes various special files that refer to
specific hardware peripherals and device drivers. The names
of the entries are generally derived from names for the
hardware, though they are often related to the names of the
special files themselves. Characteristics of both the
hardware device and the corresponding device driver are
discussed where applicable.
The naming convention creates separate subdirectories under
/dev for each type of disk or tape device. The formats for
disk devices are:
/dev/dsk/{r}[cntrlr_][controller_numberd]drive_numberssection_number
where:
{ } Fields in curly brackets represent options
that affect software; they must be present
if that option is being selected.
[ ] Fields in square brackets are entirely
optional; they do not affect the operation
of any software or hardware; they are for
informational purposes only, for the
convenience of administrators, operators,
and users.
r (Not Required) (The first r) indicates a
raw interface to the disk. The default is
normal system buffering.
dsk/ (Required) Indicates that the device is a
disk.
cntrlr (Not Required) Indicates the appropriate
disk device in systems with multiple disk
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INTRO(7) INTRO(7)
drivers. In Release 3 of SYSTEM V/68, the
controller names are present and must be
used on command lines that specify a disk
device. The disk devices available are:
m323 ESDI Disk Controller, MVME323
c Generic Controller
controller_numberd
(Not Required) System administrators decide
whether or not to specify the controller
number in the disk device name. If the
controller number is specified, the d
introduces the drive number.
drive_number (Required) The drive number. The field is
free format; there is no default drive
number. For the mvme147 or mvme327: The
logical unit number of the drive at that
SCSI address.
ssection_number (Required) The section number. The field
is free format; there is no default section
number.
For example, the name for m323 controller 0, drive 0,
section 0 is /dev/dsk/m3230s0.
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The formats for tape device names are:
/dev/{r}mt/[cntrlr_]
[controller_numberd]drive_number[options]{n}
where:
{ } Fields in curly brackets represent options
that affect software; they must be present
if that option is being selected.
[ ] Fields in square brackets are entirely
optional; they do not affect the operation
of any software or hardware; they are for
informational purposes only, for the
convenience of administrators, operators,
and users.
r (Not Required) Indicates a raw device. The
default is a blocked device.
mt/ (Required) Indicates a magnetic tape
device.
cntrlr_ (Not Required) Indicates the appropriate
magnetic tape device in systems with
multiple tape drives (i.e., controller
types). In Release 3 of SYSTEM V/68, the
controller names are present and must be
used on command lines that specify a tape
device. The tape devices available are:
m350 Streaming Cartridge Tape Controller,
MVME350
controller_numberd
(Not Required) (For devices other than
MVME147 or MVME327) System administrators
decide whether or not to specify the
controller number in the tape device name.
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If the controller number is specified, the
d introduces the device number.
drive_number (Required) The drive number. The field is
free format; there is no default drive
number. For the mvme147 or mvme327: The
logical unit number of the drive at that
SCSI address.
options (Not Required) Tape options may be
specified for each drive. They consist of
one or more letters, described in the
individual manual page for the device,
which change the operating mode of the
device.
n (Not Required) Indicates no rewind on
close. The default condition is to rewind.
As an example, the name for a cartridge tape drive might be
/dev/rmt/m3500n. The devices often have aliases; see
Appendix A of the System Administrator's Guide.
BUGS
While the names of the entries generally refer to vendor
hardware names, in certain cases these names are seemingly
arbitrary for various historical reasons.
SEE ALSO
Disk Management in the System Administrator's Guide.
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