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NAME

intro — introduction to vax special files and hardware support

DESCRIPTION

This section describes the special files, related driver functions, and networking support available in the system. In this part of the manual, the SYNOPSIS section of each configurable device gives a sample specification for use in constructing a system description for the config(1) program. The DIAGNOSTICS section lists messages which may appear on the console and/or in the system error log /var/log/messages due to errors in device operation; see syslogd(8) for more information.

VAX DEVICE SUPPORT

This section describes the hardware supported on the DEC VAX-11. Software support for these devices comes in two forms. A hardware device may be supported with a character or block device driver, or it may be used within the networking subsystem and have a network interface driver. Block and character devices are accessed through files in the file system of a special type; see physio(4) and mknod(8). Network interfaces are indirectly accessed through the interprocess communication facilities provided by the system; see socket(2).

A hardware device is identified to the system at configuration time and the appropriate device or network interface driver is then compiled into the system. When the resultant system is booted, the autoconfiguration facilities in the system probe for the device on either the UNIBUS (or Q-bus) or MASSBUS and, if found, enable the software support for it. If a UNIBUS device does not respond at autoconfiguration time it is not accessible at any time afterwards. To enable a UNIBUS device which did not autoconfigure, the system will have to be rebooted. If a MASSBUS device comes “on-line” after the autoconfiguration sequence it will be dynamically autoconfigured into the running system.

The autoconfiguration system is described in vax/autoconf(4). A list of the supported devices is given below.

SEE ALSO

config(1), netintro(4), vax/autoconf(4)

Building 4.3 BSD UNIX Systems with Config, SMM, 2.

LIST OF DEVICES

The devices listed below are supported in this incarnation of the system. Pseudo-devices are not listed. Devices are indicated by their functional interface. If second vendor products provide functionally identical interfaces they should be usable with the supplied software.

HISTORY

The section 4 intro appeared in 4.1BSD.