path_to_inst(4)

1path_to_inst(4)                  File Formats                  path_to_inst(4)
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NAME

6       path_to_inst - device instance number file
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SYNOPSIS

9       /etc/path_to_inst
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DESCRIPTION

13       /etc/path_to_inst records mappings of physical device names to instance
14       numbers.
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17       The instance number of a device is encoded in its minor number, and  is
18       the  way  that a device driver determines which of the possible devices
19       that it may drive is referred to by a given special file.
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22       In order to keep instance numbers persistent across reboots, the system
23       records them in /etc/path_to_inst.
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26       This  file is read only at boot time, and is updated by add_drv(1M) and
27       devfsadm(1M).
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30       Note that it is generally not necessary for the system administrator to
31       change this file, as the system will maintain it.
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34       The  system administrator can change the assignment of instance numbers
35       by editing this file and doing a reconfiguration reboot.  However,  any
36       changes  made  in this file will be lost if add_drv(1M) or devfsadm(1M)
37       is run before the system is rebooted.
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40       Each instance entry is a single line of the form:
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42         "physical name" instance number "driver binding name"
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46       where
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48       physical name          is the absolute physical pathname of  a  device.
49                              This pathname must be enclosed in double quotes.
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52       instance number        is a decimal or hexadecimal number.
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55       driver binding name    is the name used to determine the driver for the
56                              device. This name may be a  driver  alias  or  a
57                              driver  name.  The  driver  binding name must be
58                              enclosed in double quotes.
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EXAMPLES

62       Example 1 Sample path_to_inst Entries
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65       Here are some sample path_to_inst entries:
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68         "/iommu@f,e0000000" 0 "iommu"
69         "/iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000" 0 "sbus"
70         "/iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/sbusmem@e,0" 14 "sbusmem"
71         "/iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/sbusmem@f,0" 15 "sbusmem"
72         "/iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/ledma@f,400010" 0 "ledma"
73         "/obio/serial@0,100000" 0 "zs"
74         "/SUNW,sx@f,80000000" 0 "SUNW,sx"
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FILES

79       /etc/path_to_inst    Mapping of physical device names to instance  num‐
80                            bers.
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WARNINGS

87       If  the  file is removed the system may not be bootable (as it may rely
88       on information found in this  file  to  find  the  root,  usr  or  swap
89       device). If it does successfully boot, it will regenerate the file, but
90       after rebooting devices may end up having different minor numbers  than
91       they  did  before, and special files created via mknod(1M) may refer to
92       different devices than expected.
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95       For the same reasons, changes should not be made to this  file  without
96       careful consideration.
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NOTES

99       This document does not constitute an API. path_to_inst may not exist or
100       may have a different content or interpretation in a future release. The
101       existence  of  this  notice does not imply that any other documentation
102       that lacks this notice constitutes an API.
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106SunOS 5.11                        18 May 2007                  path_to_inst(4)