The Linux system identifies hardware devices as special files, called device files. There are three
different classifications of device files:
? Character
? Block
? Network
Character device files are for devices that can only handle data one character at a time. Most types
of modems and terminals are created as character files. Block files are for devices that can handle
data in large blocks at a time, such as disk drives.
The network file types are used for devices that use packets to send and receive data. This includes network cards and a special loopback device that allows the Linux system to communicate with itself using common network programming protocols.
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