Linux device drivers...

[gaf at blu.org (Jerry Feldman)]

A block device is normally associated with file structured devices such 
as disks. Character devices are normally serial devices such as 
terminals. You can to an ls -l on /dev, and look at what devices are 
character and what are block. Also note that most block devices have a 
corresponding character device (normally called the raw device. The pipe 
device is normally associated with the FIFO, and you need not be 
concerned about that. 

On 24 Feb 00, at 8:37, Kevin M. Gleason wrote:

> 
> I'm a little unclear on theory between the two devices. Would a
> character device
> be something like the keyboard (passing one char at a time) as
> opposed to block (that uses a buffer then passes the contents of the
> buffer)?
> I have no idea how you would use a pipe in this context.
>
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Associate Director
Boston Linux and Unix user group
http://www.blu.org
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