MKNOD

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: February 2026
Index Return to Main Contents

---

 

NAME

mknod - make block or character special files  

SYNOPSIS

mknod [,OPTION/]... ,NAME TYPE /[,MAJOR MINOR/]  

DESCRIPTION

Create the special file NAME of the given TYPE.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#mkno-m'-m, --mode=,MODEX'tty: link'/

set file permission bits to MODE, not a=rw - umask

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#mkno-Z'-ZX'tty: link'

set the SELinux security context to default type

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#mkno-context'--context[=CTX]X'tty: link'

like -Z, or if CTX is specified then set the SELinux or SMACK security context to CTX

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/mknod#mkno-help'--helpX'tty: link'

display this help and exit

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/mknod#mkno-version'--versionX'tty: link'

output version information and exit

Both MAJOR and MINOR must be specified when TYPE is b, c, or u, and they must be omitted when TYPE is p. If MAJOR or MINOR begins with 0x or 0X, it is interpreted as hexadecimal; otherwise, if it begins with 0, as octal; otherwise, as decimal. TYPE may be:

b

create a block (buffered) special file

c, u

create a character (unbuffered) special file

p

create a FIFO

Your shell may have its own version of mknod, which usually supersedes the version described here. Please refer to your shell's documentation for details about the options it supports.  

AUTHOR

Written by David MacKenzie.  

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org

Report Gentoo bugs to: https://bugs.gentoo.org/
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>  

SEE ALSO

mknod(2)

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/mknod>
or available locally via: info aq(coreutils) mknod invocationaq

Packaged by Gentoo (9.10 (p0))
Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

---

 

Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

AUTHOR

REPORTING BUGS

SEE ALSO