osf1 man page for mknod

mknod(8)						      System Manager's Manual							  mknod(8)

NAME
       mknod - Creates a special file

SYNOPSIS
       /usr/sbin/mknod special_file [ b major_device# minor_device# |  c major_device# minor_device#]

       /usr/sbin/mknod filename p

DESCRIPTION
       The  mknod  command makes a directory entry.  The first argument is the name of the special device file.  Select a name that is descriptive
       of the device.

       The mknod command has two forms.  In the first form, the second argument is the b or c flag.  The last two arguments are numbers specifying
       the major_device, which helps the operating system find the device driver code, and the minor_device, the unit drive, or line number, which
       may be either decimal or octal.

       The assignment of major device numbers is specific to each system.  You can determine the device numbers by  examining  the  conf.c  system
       source file.  If you change the contents of the conf.c file to add a device driver, you must rebuild the kernel.

       In the second form of mknod, you use the p flag to create named pipes (FIFOs).

       Only the superuser can create a character or device special file.

FLAGS
       Indicates  that	the  special  file  corresponds to a block-oriented device (disk or tape) Indicates that the special file corresponds to a
       character-oriented device Creates named pipes (FIFOs)

EXAMPLES
       To create the special file for a new drive, /dev/disk/dsk20, with a major device number of 1 and a minor device number of 2,  enter:  mknod
       /dev/disk/dsk20	b   1	2 This command creates the special file, /dev/disk/dsk20, which is a block special file with major device number 1
       and minor device number 2.  To create a pipe named fifo, enter: mknod fifo p This command creates the pipe fifo, which is  not  necessarily
       in the current directory.

FILES
       Specifies the command path Specifies the system device numbers specification file delim off

																	  mknod(8)