Dev-null: Difference between revisions
imported>Joshua David Williams (added humorous link) |
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
[http://www.thbz.org/segfault/DevNull.html /dev/null is full! | [http://www.thbz.org/segfault/DevNull.html /dev/null is full!], typical Unix humor | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 20:26, 15 April 2007
In Unix (and Unix-like) operating systems, the /dev/null character device file is a container that disposes all data written to it, and returns nothing when read from, except the End of File (EOF) character. Because it is located in the /dev, or device, directory, it is commonly known as the 'null device.' Other synonyms include the 'black hole' and the 'bit bucket.'[1]
It is commonly used to not show the output of programs (when they are run in scripts),[1] and has oft been used in jokes and puns. For instance, the original BSD Daemon, drawn by Phil Foglio, featured a demon standing near a 'bit bucket.' Another usage would be on an Internet forum or IRC, when someone says something to the effect "Flames will be redirected to /dev/null."
External links
/dev/null is full!, typical Unix humor
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Linux System Administrator's Guide, Chapter 5" (Retrieved 2007-04-15).