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<sect1 id="device-names">
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<title>Device Names in Linux</title>
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Linux disks and partition names may be different from other operating
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systems. You need to know the names that Linux uses when you create
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and mount partitions. Here's the basic naming scheme:
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<itemizedlist arch="not-s390">
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The first floppy drive is named <filename>/dev/fd0</filename>.
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The second floppy drive is named <filename>/dev/fd1</filename>.
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The first SCSI disk (SCSI ID address-wise) is named
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<filename>/dev/sda</filename>.
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The second SCSI disk (address-wise) is named
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<filename>/dev/sdb</filename>, and so on.
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The first SCSI CD-ROM is named <filename>/dev/scd0</filename>, also
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known as <filename>/dev/sr0</filename>.
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The master disk on IDE primary controller is named
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<filename>/dev/hda</filename>.
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The slave disk on IDE primary controller is named
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<filename>/dev/hdb</filename>.
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The master and slave disks of the secondary controller can be called
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<filename>/dev/hdc</filename> and <filename>/dev/hdd</filename>,
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respectively. Newer IDE controllers can actually have two channels,
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effectively acting like two controllers.
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The letters may differ from what shows in the mac program pdisk
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(i.e. what shows up as <filename>/dev/hdc</filename> on pdisk may show
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up as <filename>/dev/hda</filename> in Debian).
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<listitem arch="i386"><para>
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The first XT disk is named <filename>/dev/xda</filename>.
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<listitem arch="i386"><para>
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The second XT disk is named <filename>/dev/xdb</filename>.
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<listitem arch="m68k"><para>
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The first ACSI device is named <filename>/dev/ada</filename>, the
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second is named <filename>/dev/adb</filename>.
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<itemizedlist arch="s390">
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The first DASD device is named
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<filename>/dev/dasda</filename>.
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The second DASD device is named
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<filename>/dev/dasdb</filename>, and so on.
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<para arch="not-s390">
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The partitions on each disk are represented by appending a decimal
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number to the disk name: <filename>sda1</filename> and
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<filename>sda2</filename> represent the first and
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second partitions of the first SCSI disk drive in your system.
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</para><para arch="not-s390">
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Here is a real-life example. Let's assume you have a system with 2
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SCSI disks, one at SCSI address 2 and the other at SCSI address 4.
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The first disk (at address 2) is then named <filename>sda</filename>,
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and the second <filename>sdb</filename>. If the
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<filename>sda</filename> drive has 3 partitions on it, these will be
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named <filename>sda1</filename>, <filename>sda2</filename>, and
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<filename>sda3</filename>. The same applies to the
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<filename>sdb</filename> disk and its partitions.
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</para><para arch="not-s390">
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Note that if you have two SCSI host bus adapters (i.e., controllers),
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the order of the drives can get confusing. The best solution in this
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case is to watch the boot messages, assuming you know the drive models
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</para><para arch="i386">
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Linux represents the primary partitions as the drive name, plus the
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numbers 1 through 4. For example, the first primary partition on the
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first IDE drive is <filename>/dev/hda1</filename>. The logical partitions are
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numbered starting at 5, so the first logical partition on that same
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drive is <filename>/dev/hda5</filename>. Remember that the extended
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partition, that is, the primary partition holding the logical
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partitions, is not usable by itself. This applies to SCSI disks as
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</para><para arch="m68k">
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VMEbus systems using the TEAC FC-1 SCSI floppy drive will see it as normal
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SCSI disk. To make identification of the drive simpler the installation
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software will create a symbolic link to the appropriate device and name
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it <filename>/dev/sfd0</filename>.
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</para><para arch="sparc">
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Sun disk partitions allow for 8 separate partitions (or slices). The
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third partition is usually (and is preferred to have) the <quote>Whole
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Disk</quote> partition. This partition references all of the sectors of the
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disk, and is used by the boot loader (either SILO, or Sun's).
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</para><para arch="s390">
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The partitions on each disk are represented by appending a decimal
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number to the disk name: <filename>dasda1</filename> and
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<filename>dasda2</filename> represent the first and
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second partitions of the first DASD device in your system.