NAME

     MAKEDEV, DESCRIBE - make/describe device files


SYNOPSIS

     MAKEDEV [-n] key ...
     DESCRIBE [device] ...


DESCRIPTION

     MAKEDEV may be used to  create  the  device  files  normally
     found  in  the /dev directory.  The key arguments are simply
     the names of the devices you want.  MAKEDEV knows about  all
     supported devices and will create them in the current direc-
     tory with the proper owner and mode.  For many devices  MAK-
     EDEV  will not only create the device you want, but also the
     devices related to it that you will probably want too.  Nam-
     ing one floppy device will create all floppy devices for the
     same drive for instance.

     Call MAKEDEV without arguments to see a list of keys that it
     understands.   Then  use the -n flag to make the script echo
     the commands it will execute the next time when you call  it
     without that flag.

     The special key std must be given alone  to  MAKEDEV.   This
     key will create all standard devices.

     The command DESCRIBE will give you a one-line description of
     a  given  device.   It  will  by default list all devices in
     /dev.


SEE ALSO

     dev(4), mknod(8).


BUGS

     MAKEDEV's eagerness to create devices may cause  many  "File
     exists" errors from mknod.


AUTHOR

     Kees J. Bot (kjb@cs.vu.nl)