Dev-null: Difference between revisions

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{{dablink|The formal name of this article is /dev/null, but has been renamed due to technical limitations of the MediaWiki system.}}
{{dablink|The formal name of this article is /dev/null, but has been renamed due to technical limitations of the MediaWiki system.}}


In [[Unix]] (and Unix-like) operating systems, the '''/dev/null''' character device file is a container that disposes all data written to it, and returns nothing when read from, except the [[EOF|End of File]] (EOF) character. Because it is located in the /dev, or device, directory, it is commonly known as the 'null device.' Other synonyms include the 'black hole' and the 'bit bucket.'<ref name="LSAG">{{cite web
In [[Unix]] (and Unix-like) operating systems, '''/dev/null''' is a character [[device file]] which disposes all data written to it, and returns nothing when read from, except the [[EOF|End of File]] (EOF) character. Because it is located in the /dev, or device, directory, it is commonly known as the 'null device.' Other synonyms include the 'black hole' and the 'bit bucket.'<ref name="LSAG">{{cite web
| url=http://www.faqs.org/docs/linux_admin/x822.html
| url=http://www.faqs.org/docs/linux_admin/x822.html
| title="The Linux System Administrator's Guide, Chapter 5"
| title="The Linux System Administrator's Guide, Chapter 5"
| date=Retrieved 2007-04-15
| date=Retrieved 2007-04-15
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
The device unquestionably belongs to the standard [[Unix_directory_structure| standard Unix directory structure]]
The null device is part of the standard [[Unix_directory_structure| standard Unix directory structure]]


It is commonly used to not show the output of programs (when they are run in scripts),<ref name="LSAG"/> and has oft been used in jokes and puns. For instance, the original [[BSD Daemon]], drawn by [[Phil Foglio]], featured a demon standing near a 'bit bucket.' Another usage would be on an [[Internet forum]] or [[IRC]], when someone says something to the effect "Flames will be redirected to /dev/null."
It is commonly used to not show the output of programs (when they are run in scripts),<ref name="LSAG"/> and has oft been used in jokes and puns. For instance, the original [[BSD Daemon]], drawn by [[Phil Foglio]], featured a demon standing near a 'bit bucket.' Another usage would be on an [[Internet forum]] or [[IRC]], when someone says something to the effect "Flames will be redirected to /dev/null."


==References==
==References==
<references />
<references />

Revision as of 10:56, 7 February 2008

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In Unix (and Unix-like) operating systems, /dev/null is a character device file which disposes all data written to it, and returns nothing when read from, except the End of File (EOF) character. Because it is located in the /dev, or device, directory, it is commonly known as the 'null device.' Other synonyms include the 'black hole' and the 'bit bucket.'[1] The null device is part of the standard standard Unix directory structure

It is commonly used to not show the output of programs (when they are run in scripts),[1] and has oft been used in jokes and puns. For instance, the original BSD Daemon, drawn by Phil Foglio, featured a demon standing near a 'bit bucket.' Another usage would be on an Internet forum or IRC, when someone says something to the effect "Flames will be redirected to /dev/null."

References