Device Naming Enhancements

Solaris Express 10/06: The /dev name space supports multiple file system instances as needed. A global instance of the /dev file system is created automatically when the system is booted. Subsequent /dev instances are created and mounted when needed, such as when devices are added to a non-global zone. When a non-global zone is shutdown, the available /dev instance is unmounted and unavailable.

In addition, device configuration is improved in the following ways:

• Reconfiguration boot is eliminated – In previous Solaris releases, a reconfiguration boot was needed if you connected a device to a system that is powered off.

  In this Solaris release, performing a reconfiguration boot is unnecessary when attaching devices to a system that is powered off. Newly attached devices are automatically recognized and the appropriate device links are created when the system is rebooted.

  For more information, see dev(7FS).

• Zone device support is simplified – As described above, device support for Solaris zones is enhanced by providing specific instances of the /dev directory for non-global zones. In addition, zones are no longer dependent upon the devfsadm daemon for reconfiguration of devices within a zone.

• Pseudo device creation is improved – In this Solaris release, the content of the /dev/pts directory is created on demand in the global /dev name space as well as a/dev instance when needed in a non-global zone. In addition, the ptys links are only visible in the global zone or the non-global zone from which they are allocated.

  For more information, see grantpt(3C).

For more information about device configuration, see Managing Devices in the Solaris OS.