Configuring HP-UX For Peripherals

Chapter 1 17
Getting Started
Peripheral Configuration in its Simplest Terms
Peripheral Configuration in its Simplest
Terms
You must perform the following three steps before a peripheral device
can communicate with an HP-UX system:
Step 1. Configure the device driver(s) into the kernel. Device drivers are
like translators that speak both the language of the peripheral device
and the language of the computer.
Step 2. Install the hardware. Perform any hardware-specific installation
procedures required to physically connect the peripheral device to your
computer. Then, turn on the power to the peripheral devices and then to
the computer.
Step 3. Reboot the system. As the system reboots, HP-UX automatically
creates the necessary device special files required for the peripheral. At
least one device special file must exist for a device driver to communicate
with the peripheral device. Device special files tell the operating system
which device driver to use, how to find the peripheral device, and what
special characteristics the peripheral device employs.
Figure 1-1 The Essentials of Peripheral Configuration