Disk and file administration commands require the use of either a raw (or character) device interface, or a block device interface. The distinction is made by how data is read from the device.
Raw device interfaces transfer only small amounts of data at a time. Block device interfaces include a buffer from which large blocks of data are read at once.
Different commands require different interfaces.
When a command requires the raw device interface, specify the /dev/rdsk subdirectory. (The “r” in rdsk stands for “raw.”)
When a command requires the block device interface, specify the /dev/dsk subdirectory.
When you're not sure whether a command requires use of /dev/dsk or /dev/rdsk, check the man page for that command.
The following table shows which interface is required for a few commonly used disk and file system commands.
Table 29–1 Device Interface Type Required by Some Frequently Used Commands
Command |
Interface Type |
Example of Use |
---|---|---|
Block |
df /dev/dsk/c0t3d0s6 |
|
Raw |
fsck -p /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0s0 |
|
Block |
mount /dev/dsk/c1t0d0s7 /export/home |
|
Raw |
newfs /dev/rdsk/c0t0d1s1 |
|
Raw |
prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0s2 |