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32 .Nd introduction to special files and hardware support
34 This section describes the special files, related driver functions,
35 and networking support available in the system.
36 In this part of the manual, the
38 section of each configurable device gives a sample specification
39 for use in constructing a system description for the
44 section lists messages which may appear on the console
45 and/or in the system error log
47 due to errors in device operation; see
51 This section contains both devices which may be configured into
52 the system and network related information.
53 The networking support is introduced in
56 This section describes the hardware supported by
58 Software support for these devices comes in two forms.
59 A hardware device may be supported with a character or block
61 or it may be used within the networking subsystem and have a
62 .Em network interface driver .
63 Block and character devices are accessed through files in the file
64 system of a special type; see
66 Network interfaces are indirectly accessed through the interprocess
67 communication facilities provided by the system; see
70 A hardware device is identified to the system at configuration time
71 and the appropriate device or network interface driver is then
72 compiled into the system.
73 When the resultant system is booted, the autoconfiguration facilities
74 in the system probe for the device and, if found, enable the software
76 If a device does not respond at autoconfiguration time it is not
77 accessible at any time afterwards.
78 To enable a device which did not autoconfigure, the system must be
81 The autoconfiguration system is described in
83 A list of the supported devices is given below.
85 The following systems are supported:
87 .Bl -tag -width XXXXXX -offset indent -compact
92 The devices listed below are supported in this incarnation of the
94 Devices are indicated by their functional interface.
95 Not all supported devices are listed.
97 .Bl -tag -width com -offset indent -compact
101 serial communications interface
104 PCI devices are supported through the
106 bus and associated device drivers.
107 .\" .Sh UNSUPPORTED DEVICES
108 .\" The following devices are not supported, due to unavailability of
109 .\" either documentation or sample hardware:
111 .\" .Bl -tag -width XXXXX -offset indent -compact