[Sheflug] Where is /dev/eth0 ? What are major & minor device numbers?

[James Wallbank <xxxxx [at] xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

Can anyone explain to me where /dev/eth0 has disappeared to on Mandrake
8.1+? I always was under the impression that it's a character device
file that refers to the first ethernet card - which would suggest to me
that it's essential to get connected to a LAN.

However, under Mandrake 8.1 and thereafter, /dev/eth0 doesn't exist! Not
even as a link to another character device file. Somebody told me that
"Mandrake uses DevFS to communicate with the ethernet hardware using
major and minor device numbers" - but I neither know whether (a) this is
true, or (b) what it means if it is true!

I guess that the device numbers (major and minor) act as some kind of
more fundamental way to access the port in question, which /dev/eth0
just points to, just as a host name points to an IP number. Am I right?
What does it all mean?

Thanks for your help,

James
-- 
James Wallbank
Redundant Technology Initiative
Access Space, 1 Sidney Street,Sheffield S1 4RG UK
T: +44 (0)114 2495522
F: +44 (0)114 2495533
___________________________________________________________________

Sheffield Linux User's Group -
http://www.sheflug.co.uk/mailfaq.html

  GNU the choice of a complete generation.