Dev-null: Difference between revisions

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
imported>Alexander Wiebel
No edit summary
imported>SundaraRaman Ramalingam
mNo edit summary
 
(5 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{subpages}}
{{subpages}}
 
{{slashtitle|/dev/null}}
{{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, '''/dev/null''' is a character [[device file]] which discards all data written to it, and gives [[EOF|End of File]] (EOF) for all reads. Because it is located in the /dev, or device, directory, it is commonly known as the 'null device.' Synonyms include the 'black hole' and the 'bit bucket.'<ref name="LSAG">{{cite web
 
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
| 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 [[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 prevent the output of programs from appearing on the screen (usually when they are run in scripts)<ref name="LSAG"/>. It 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 />

Latest revision as of 11:12, 20 August 2009

This article is a stub and thus not approved.
Main Article
Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.
Due to technical limitations, this article uses an unusual title. It should be called  /dev/null.

In Unix (and Unix-like) operating systems, /dev/null is a character device file which discards all data written to it, and gives End of File (EOF) for all reads. Because it is located in the /dev, or device, directory, it is commonly known as the 'null device.' Synonyms include the 'black hole' and the 'bit bucket.'[1] The null device is part of the standard Unix directory structure

It is commonly used to prevent the output of programs from appearing on the screen (usually when they are run in scripts)[1]. It 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