B.4. Device Names in Linux
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## B.4. Device Names in Linux

Linux disks and partition names may be different from other operating systems. You need to know the names that Linux uses when you create and mount partitions. Here's the basic naming scheme:

- The first floppy drive is named `/dev/fd0`.

- The second floppy drive is named `/dev/fd1`.

- The first SCSI disk (SCSI ID address-wise) is named `/dev/sda`.

- The second SCSI disk (address-wise) is named `/dev/sdb`, and so on.

- The first SCSI CD-ROM is named `/dev/scd0`, also known as `/dev/sr0`.

- The master disk on IDE primary controller is named `/dev/hda`.

- The slave disk on IDE primary controller is named `/dev/hdb`.

- The master and slave disks of the secondary controller can be called `/dev/hdc` and `/dev/hdd`, respectively. Newer IDE controllers can actually have two channels, effectively acting like two controllers.

The partitions on each disk are represented by appending a decimal number to the disk name: `sda1` and `sda2` represent the first and second partitions of the first SCSI disk drive in your system.

Here is a real-life example. Let's assume you have a system with 2 SCSI disks, one at SCSI address 2 and the other at SCSI address 4. The first disk (at address 2) is then named `sda`, and the second `sdb`. If the `sda` drive has 3 partitions on it, these will be named `sda1`, `sda2`, and `sda3`. The same applies to the `sdb` disk and its partitions.

Note that if you have two SCSI host bus adapters (i.e., controllers), the order of the drives can get confusing. The best solution in this case is to watch the boot messages, assuming you know the drive models and/or capacities.

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