---
name: "aoe-mkshelf"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "aoetools"
version: "36-6"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/aoe-mkshelf"
---

# aoe-mkshelf(8)

create special device files for one shelf address

## NAME

aoe-mkshelf - create special device files for one shelf address

## SYNOPSIS

```
aoe-mkshelf {device-dir} {shelf-address}
env n_partitions=1 aoe-mkshelf {device-dir} {shelf-address}
```

## DESCRIPTION

The *aoe-mkshelf* command is not needed on systems that have udev installed and  is incompatible with aoe drivers that have the *aoe\_dyndevs* module parameter set to 1.

Systems lacking udev and having an aoe driver that uses static minor device numbers can use *aoe-mkshelf* to create the block special files necessary to access the AoE devices with the given shelf address.

All aoe drivers prior to *aoe6-50* use static minor device numbers.  Versions 50 and up use dynamic minor device numbers when the module parameter aoe\_dyndevs=1 is set.

If you are using static minor device numbers and your aoe driver supports only one partition per device (whole-disk  partitions), then the device files must match, and you should use the  *n\_partitions* environment variable described below.

### Arguments

- **device-dir**

  This should be the name of the directory where the block device files will be created.

- **shelf-address**

  This is the AoE major address, or shelf address, for which to create device nodes.  For example, specifying a shelf address of 1 means that the e1.\* device nodes will be created in **device-dir**.

## ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

If the *n\_partitions* variable is set in the environment, it will override the default number of partitions per aoe disk, namely 16.

## EXAMPLE

In this example, the root user on a host named *nai* creates special files for using the aoe disks in shelf 7.  Then he remembers that the driver doesn't have partition support, so the command is called again with *n\_partitions* set to 1.

-

  ```
  nai:~# aoe-mkshelf /dev/etherd 7
  nai:~# ls /dev/etherd/e7.* | wc -l
  160
  nai:~# rm /dev/etherd/e7.*
  nai:~# n_partitions=1 aoe-mkshelf /dev/etherd 7
  nai:~# ls /dev/etherd/e7.* | wc -l
  10
  nai:~#
  ```

## SEE ALSO

[*aoe-discover*(8)](/aoe-discover/8.md), [*aoe-interfaces*(8)](/aoe-interfaces/8.md), [*aoe-mkdevs*(8)](/aoe-mkdevs/8.md), [*aoe-stat*(8)](/aoe-stat/8.md), *aoetools*(8), [*udev*(7)](/udev/7.md).

## AUTHOR

Ed L. Cashin (ecashin@coraid.com)