Master Configuration Database

Master Configuration Database

Every configurable module of the kernel (this includes kernel-level device drivers and some other service modules) is represented by a single file in the directory /var/sysgen/master.d.

A file in master.d describes the attributes of a module of the kernel which is to be loaded at boot time. The general syntax of the file is documented in detail in the master(4) reference page. Only a subset of the syntax is used to describe a device driver module. In general, the master.d file specifies device driver attributes such as:

the driver's prefix, a name that qualifies all its entry points
whether it is a block, character, or STREAMS driver
the major number serviced by the driver
whether the driver can be loaded dynamically as needed
whether the driver is multiprocessor-aware
which of the possible driver entry points the driver supplies

For each module described in a master.d file there should be a corresponding object module in /var/sysgen/boot. The creation of device driver modules and the syntax of master.d files is covered in detail in Chapter 10, "Building and Installing a Driver."