Device Naming

SunOS release 5.7 device names make it easier to infer certain device characteristics from a device name. SunOS release 4 systems convey type rather than device attributes, which makes it difficult for programs and scripts to derive necessary information about devices. SunOS release 5.7 conventions are slightly different from AT&T SVR4 device names because SunOS release 5.7 allows only eight user-configurable slices on a disk.

In addition, special device files are now stored in the hierarchical /devices directory, with symbolic links to the hierarchical /dev directory, which is used by administrators and users to access devices. The /dev directory contains subdirectories, such as /dev/dsk/*, used to access disk devices, and /dev/rdsk/*, used to access raw disk devices. For more information, see "Device Naming Conventions". For discussions on device naming conventions, see "Device Naming From a Developer's Perspective".