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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)
NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | RETURN VALUE | ERRORS | SEE ALSO