Device files

• Represent Hardware Devices to User-Mode applications.
• Look like normal files at first glance.
• Do not contain any data - they are used for communications only.
• In 'ls -l', the first letter is either 'c' or 'b', depending on the Device type (will be explained later).
• Have a major number, describing the type of the Device.
• Have a minor number, describing the instance of the Device (allows several Devices of the same type).
• Look like this:

  [choo@simey ~]$ ls -l /dev/hda
  brw-rw----    1 root     disk       3,   0 Apr 11  2002 /dev/hda
  [choo@simey ~]$ ls -l /dev/ttyS1
  crw-rw----    1 root     uucp       4,  65 Apr 11  2002 /dev/ttyS1
       

Originally written by guy keren