MKNOD(2)							System Calls Manual							  MKNOD(2)

NAME

       mknod, mkfifo - make a special file

SYNOPSIS

       #include <sys/types.h>
       #include <unistd.h>
       #include <sys/stat.h>

       int mknod(const char *path, mode_t mode, dev_t dev)
       int mkfifo(const char *path, mode_t mode)

DESCRIPTION

       Mknod  creates  a new file whose name is path.  The mode of the new file (including special file bits) is initialized from mode, as defined
       in <sys/stat.h>.  (The protection part of the mode is modified by the process's mode mask (see umask(2))).  The first block pointer of  the
       i-node is initialized from dev and is used to specify which device the special file refers to.

       If  mode  indicates  a block or character special file, dev is the device number of a character or block I/O device.  The low eight bits of
       the device number hold the minor device number that selects a device among the devices governed by the same driver.  The driver is selected
       by the major device number, the next eight bits of the device number.

       If  mode  does  not  indicate  a block special or character special device, dev is ignored.  (For example, when creating a ``fifo'' special
       file.)

       Mknod may be invoked only by the super-user, unless it is being used to create a fifo.

       The call mkfifo(path, mode) is equivalent to

	      mknod(path, (mode & 0777) | S_IFIFO, 0)

RETURN VALUE

       Upon successful completion a value of 0 is returned.  Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS

       Mknod will fail and the file mode will be unchanged if:

       [ENOTDIR]      A component of the path prefix is not a directory.

       [ENAMETOOLONG] The path name exceeds PATH_MAX characters.

       [ENOENT]       A component of the path prefix does not exist.

       [EACCES]       Search permission is denied for a component of the path prefix.

       [ELOOP]	      Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the pathname.  (Minix-vmd)

       [EPERM]	      The process's effective user ID is not super-user.

       [EIO]	      An I/O error occurred while making the directory entry or allocating the inode.

       [ENOSPC]       The directory in which the entry for the new node is being placed cannot be extended because there is no space left  on  the
		      file system containing the directory.

       [ENOSPC]       There are no free inodes on the file system on which the node is being created.

       [EROFS]	      The named file resides on a read-only file system.

       [EEXIST]       The named file exists.

       [EFAULT]       Path points outside the process's allocated address space.

SEE ALSO

       chmod(2), stat(2), umask(2).

4th Berkeley Distribution					   May 23, 1986 							  MKNOD(2)