Unix - How are devices represented in UNIX?

How are devices represented in UNIX?

Devices in UNIX are represented by files. These are special files located in the )dev directory. Hence in UNIX, every piece of hardware is a file. This device file allows us to access the hardware. For instance, the following command;

Less –f /dev/hda is not a file in the ‘real’ sense. When read, it is actually reading directly from the first physical hard disk of your machine

How are devices represented in UNIX?

UNIX represents all devices as files. These files are located in the directory /dev. That is why the devices and other files are accessed in a similar way. Devices file which is specified as ‘block special file’ with some similar characters of a disk file. A device which is specified as a ‘character special file’ with some characteristics that is similar to a keyboard