Note that unpacking the MAKEDEV-&makedev-version;.bz2 file doesn't create a directory for you to cd into, as the file only contains a script. Prepare for the creation of the device files by running the following commands: cp MAKEDEV-&makedev-version; /dev/MAKEDEV && cd /dev && chmod 754 MAKEDEV Most people will now want to create devices by running: ./MAKEDEV -v generic But if you intend to use devpts, then run this instead: ./MAKEDEV -v generic-nopty Note that if you aren't sure, it's best to use the ./MAKEDEV -v generic command as this will ensure you have all the devices you need. But if you are certain you are going to use devpts, the other command skips creating a set of devices you won't need. MAKEDEV will create hda[1-20] to hdh[1-20] and many more of such disk device nodes, but keep in mind that you probably won't be able to use all of these, due to kernel limits on the maximum number of partitions.