ca/partitioning/device-names.xml

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 <sect1 id="device-names">
 <title>Device Names in Linux</title>
<para>

Linux disks and partition names may be different from other operating
systems.  You need to know the names that Linux uses when you create
and mount partitions. Here's the basic naming scheme:

</para>
<itemizedlist arch="not-s390">
<listitem><para>

The first floppy drive is named <filename>/dev/fd0</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>

The second floppy drive is named <filename>/dev/fd1</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>

The first SCSI disk (SCSI ID address-wise) is named
<filename>/dev/sda</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>

The second SCSI disk (address-wise) is named
<filename>/dev/sdb</filename>, and so on.

</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>

The first SCSI CD-ROM is named <filename>/dev/scd0</filename>, also
known as <filename>/dev/sr0</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>

The master disk on IDE primary controller is named
<filename>/dev/hda</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>

The slave disk on IDE primary controller is named
<filename>/dev/hdb</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>

The master and slave disks of the secondary controller can be called
<filename>/dev/hdc</filename> and <filename>/dev/hdd</filename>,
respectively.  Newer IDE controllers can actually have two channels,
effectively acting like two controllers.

<phrase arch="m68k">
The letters may differ from what shows in the mac program pdisk
(i.e. what shows up as <filename>/dev/hdc</filename> on pdisk may show
up as <filename>/dev/hda</filename> in Debian). 
</phrase>

</para></listitem>

<listitem arch="i386"><para>

The first XT disk is named <filename>/dev/xda</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem arch="i386"><para>

The second XT disk is named <filename>/dev/xdb</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem arch="m68k"><para>

The first ACSI device is named <filename>/dev/ada</filename>, the
second is named <filename>/dev/adb</filename>.  

</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>

<itemizedlist arch="s390">
<listitem><para>

The first DASD devices is named
<filename>/dev/dasda</filename>.

</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>

The second DASD device is named
<filename>/dev/dasdb</filename>, and so on.

</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>

<para arch="not-s390">

The partitions on each disk are represented by appending a decimal
number to the disk name: <filename>sda1</filename> and
<filename>sda2</filename> represent the first and
second partitions of the first SCSI disk drive in your system.

</para><para arch="not-s390">

Here is a real-life example.  Let's assume you have a system with 2
SCSI disks, one at SCSI address 2 and the other at SCSI address 4.
The first disk (at address 2) is then named <filename>sda</filename>,
and the second <filename>sdb</filename>.  If the
<filename>sda</filename> drive has 3 partitions on it, these will be
named <filename>sda1</filename>, <filename>sda2</filename>, and
<filename>sda3</filename>.  The same applies to the
<filename>sdb</filename> disk and its partitions.

</para><para arch="not-s390">

Note that if you have two SCSI host bus adapters (i.e., controllers),
the order of the drives can get confusing.  The best solution in this
case is to watch the boot messages, assuming you know the drive models
and/or capacities.

</para><para arch="i386">

Linux represents the primary partitions as the drive name, plus the
numbers 1 through 4.  For example, the first primary partition on the
first IDE drive is <filename>/dev/hda1</filename>.  The logical partitions are
numbered starting at 5, so the first logical partition on that same
drive is <filename>/dev/hda5</filename>.  Remember that the extended
partition, that is, the primary partition holding the logical
partitions, is not usable by itself.  This applies to SCSI disks as
well as IDE disks.

</para><para arch="m68k">

VMEbus systems using the TEAC FC-1 SCSI floppy drive will see it as normal
SCSI disk. To make identification of the drive simpler the installation
software will create a symbolic link to the appropriate device and name
it <filename>/dev/sfd0</filename>.

</para><para arch="sparc">

Sun disk partitions allow for 8 separate partitions (or slices). The
third partition is usually (and is preferred to have) the ``Whole Disk''
partition. This partition references all of the sectors of the disk, and
is used by the boot loader (either SILO, or Sun's).

</para><para arch="s390">

The partitions on each disk are represented by appending a decimal
number to the disk name: <filename>dasda1</filename> and
<filename>dasda2</filename> represent the first and
second partitions of the first DASD device in your system.

</para>
 </sect1>
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3	toff	3316
4	toff	4070
5	toff	3316	<sect1 id="device-names">
6			<title>Device Names in Linux</title>
7			<para>
8
9			Linux disks and partition names may be different from other operating
10			systems. You need to know the names that Linux uses when you create
11			and mount partitions. Here's the basic naming scheme:
12
13			</para>
14	toff	4120	<itemizedlist arch="not-s390">
15	toff	3316	<listitem><para>
16
17	mck-guest	7337	The first floppy drive is named <filename>/dev/fd0</filename>.
18	toff	3316
19			</para></listitem>
20			<listitem><para>
21
22	mck-guest	7337	The second floppy drive is named <filename>/dev/fd1</filename>.
23	toff	3316
24			</para></listitem>
25			<listitem><para>
26
27	mck-guest	7337	The first SCSI disk (SCSI ID address-wise) is named
28			<filename>/dev/sda</filename>.
29	toff	3316
30			</para></listitem>
31			<listitem><para>
32
33	mck-guest	7337	The second SCSI disk (address-wise) is named
34			<filename>/dev/sdb</filename>, and so on.
35	toff	3316
36			</para></listitem>
37			<listitem><para>
38
39	mck-guest	7337	The first SCSI CD-ROM is named <filename>/dev/scd0</filename>, also
40			known as <filename>/dev/sr0</filename>.
41	toff	3316
42			</para></listitem>
43			<listitem><para>
44
45	mck-guest	7337	The master disk on IDE primary controller is named
46			<filename>/dev/hda</filename>.
47	toff	3316
48			</para></listitem>
49			<listitem><para>
50
51	mck-guest	7337	The slave disk on IDE primary controller is named
52			<filename>/dev/hdb</filename>.
53	toff	3316
54			</para></listitem>
55			<listitem><para>
56
57			The master and slave disks of the secondary controller can be called
58	mck-guest	7337	<filename>/dev/hdc</filename> and <filename>/dev/hdd</filename>,
59			respectively. Newer IDE controllers can actually have two channels,
60			effectively acting like two controllers.
61	toff	3316
62	toff	4120	<phrase arch="m68k">
63	mck-guest	7337	The letters may differ from what shows in the mac program pdisk
64			(i.e. what shows up as <filename>/dev/hdc</filename> on pdisk may show
65			up as <filename>/dev/hda</filename> in Debian).
66	toff	4120	</phrase>
67	toff	3316
68			</para></listitem>
69
70	toff	4120	<listitem arch="i386"><para>
71	toff	3316
72	mck-guest	7337	The first XT disk is named <filename>/dev/xda</filename>.
73	toff	3316
74			</para></listitem>
75	toff	4120	<listitem arch="i386"><para>
76	toff	3316
77	mck-guest	7337	The second XT disk is named <filename>/dev/xdb</filename>.
78	toff	3316
79			</para></listitem>
80	toff	4120	<listitem arch="m68k"><para>
81	toff	3316
82	mck-guest	7337	The first ACSI device is named <filename>/dev/ada</filename>, the
83			second is named <filename>/dev/adb</filename>.
84	toff	3316
85			</para></listitem>
86	toff	4120	</itemizedlist>
87	toff	3316
88	toff	4120	<itemizedlist arch="s390">
89	toff	3316	<listitem><para>
90
91	waldi	18574	The first DASD devices is named
92			<filename>/dev/dasda</filename>.
93	toff	3316
94			</para></listitem>
95	waldi	18574	<listitem><para>
96
97			The second DASD device is named
98			<filename>/dev/dasdb</filename>, and so on.
99
100			</para></listitem>
101	toff	3316	</itemizedlist>
102
103	toff	4120	<para arch="not-s390">
104	toff	3316
105			The partitions on each disk are represented by appending a decimal
106	mck-guest	7337	number to the disk name: <filename>sda1</filename> and
107			<filename>sda2</filename> represent the first and
108	toff	3316	second partitions of the first SCSI disk drive in your system.
109
110	toff	4120	</para><para arch="not-s390">
111	toff	3316
112			Here is a real-life example. Let's assume you have a system with 2
113			SCSI disks, one at SCSI address 2 and the other at SCSI address 4.
114	mck-guest	7337	The first disk (at address 2) is then named <filename>sda</filename>,
115			and the second <filename>sdb</filename>. If the
116			<filename>sda</filename> drive has 3 partitions on it, these will be
117			named <filename>sda1</filename>, <filename>sda2</filename>, and
118			<filename>sda3</filename>. The same applies to the
119			<filename>sdb</filename> disk and its partitions.
120	toff	3316
121	toff	4120	</para><para arch="not-s390">
122	toff	3316
123			Note that if you have two SCSI host bus adapters (i.e., controllers),
124			the order of the drives can get confusing. The best solution in this
125			case is to watch the boot messages, assuming you know the drive models
126			and/or capacities.
127
128	toff	4120	</para><para arch="i386">
129	toff	3316
130			Linux represents the primary partitions as the drive name, plus the
131			numbers 1 through 4. For example, the first primary partition on the
132			first IDE drive is <filename>/dev/hda1</filename>. The logical partitions are
133			numbered starting at 5, so the first logical partition on that same
134			drive is <filename>/dev/hda5</filename>. Remember that the extended
135			partition, that is, the primary partition holding the logical
136			partitions, is not usable by itself. This applies to SCSI disks as
137			well as IDE disks.
138
139	toff	4120	</para><para arch="m68k">
140	toff	3316
141			VMEbus systems using the TEAC FC-1 SCSI floppy drive will see it as normal
142			SCSI disk. To make identification of the drive simpler the installation
143			software will create a symbolic link to the appropriate device and name
144	mck-guest	7337	it <filename>/dev/sfd0</filename>.
145	toff	3316
146	toff	4120	</para><para arch="sparc">
147	toff	3316
148			Sun disk partitions allow for 8 separate partitions (or slices). The
149			third partition is usually (and is preferred to have) the ``Whole Disk''
150			partition. This partition references all of the sectors of the disk, and
151			is used by the boot loader (either SILO, or Sun's).
152
153	toff	4120	</para><para arch="s390">
154	toff	3316
155	waldi	18574	The partitions on each disk are represented by appending a decimal
156			number to the disk name: <filename>dasda1</filename> and
157			<filename>dasda2</filename> represent the first and
158			second partitions of the first DASD device in your system.
159	toff	3316
160			</para>
161			</sect1>