Linux allocated devices in the Linux kernel documentation (source code)

= Linux allocated devices in the Linux kernel documentation
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https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/devices.html

Linux Device List, official registry of allocated device numbers and device-node names. Opening notes discuss dynamic allocation. Entry1 distinguishes character memory devices, including minors3 for /dev/null and5 for /dev/zero, from block major1 for RAM disks.

Companion primary API documentation: https://docs.kernel.org/core-api/kernel-api.html#char-devices . register_chrdev_region reserves a requested range; alloc_chrdev_region dynamically chooses the major and returns the first assigned number. Numerical reservation, cdev registration and /dev naming are distinct operations. The main registry distinguishes character and block assignments, including separate uses of major 1.