Linux mknod Guide

Linux mknod Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to mknod on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including device node creation, special files, and device management.

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Table of Contents

1. Understanding mknod
2. mknod Basics
3. Device Types
4. Creating Devices
5. Troubleshooting

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Understanding mknod

What is mknod?

mknod creates device nodes.

Uses:

• Device nodes: Create special device files
• Block devices: Create block device nodes
• Character devices: Create character device nodes
• FIFOs: Create named pipes

Warning: Requires root access. Use with caution.

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mknod Basics

Create Device

Basic usage:

# Create device node
sudo mknod /dev/mynode c 1 3

# c = character device
# 1 = major number
# 3 = minor number

Named Pipe

Create FIFO:

# Create named pipe
mknod mypipe p

# p = pipe (FIFO)
# Or use: mkfifo mypipe

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Device Types

Character Device

Character device:

# Character device
sudo mknod /dev/chardev c 1 1

# c = character device

Block Device

Block device:

# Block device
sudo mknod /dev/blockdev b 8 1

# b = block device

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Creating Devices

Major/Minor Numbers

Device numbers:

# Character device with numbers
sudo mknod /dev/mydev c 10 1

# 10 = major number
# 1 = minor number

Permissions

Set permissions:

# With permissions
sudo mknod -m 666 /dev/mydev c 1 1

# -m = mode (666 permissions)

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Troubleshooting

mknod Not Found

Check installation:

# mknod is part of coreutils
# Usually pre-installed

# Check mknod
which mknod

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Summary

This guide covered mknod usage, device node creation, and device management for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• mkfifo Guide - Named pipes
• udev Guide - Device management
• Hardware Detection - Hardware information
• mknod Documentation: man mknod

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.