---
title: "What is a special file?"  
description: "What is a special file?"  
author: "Sanat Shukla"  
published: 2018-10-16  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/50601/what-is-a-special-file  
category: "computers and laptops"  
tags: ["computer hardware"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# What is a special file?

## Answers

### Answer by Harshal Vispute

**A special file is a type of file stored in a [file system](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/1650/write-to-the-file-system-in-a-directory) of a [computer](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/94012/why-are-business-computers-more-expensive-than-a-personal-computer) [operating system](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/229069/operating-system-development)**. A device file is another name for a particular file. \
A special file's aim is to expose the device as a file in the file system. Because file **I/O** tools can **access the device**, a special file provides a [universal](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/101376/who-s-the-current-wwe-universal-champion) [interface](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/23301/interface-in-oops) for **[physical](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/82619/leave-digital-live-physical) devices** (including virtual devices produced and utilized by the kernel). \
When data is read from or written to a special file, the action occurs instantly and is not governed by **[standard](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/23223/naming-convention-or-coding-standard) filesystem rules.** \
**Special files in Linux** are divided into **two** [categories](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/47601/what-are-the-categories-of-stations-for-provision-of-passenger-amenities-explain-them): **block special files and [character](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/80860/sanjay-mishra-s-movie-kamyaab-defines-what-a-character-actor-is) special files**. \
In a character special file, data is written o**ne character (eight bits, or one byte)** at a time, **analogous to a block device.** \
A block special file is used to interact directly with a block device. Any device that conducts data I/O in blocks is [referred to as](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/39930/at-the-turn-of-the-century-widespread-panic-occurred-that-at-midnight-all-computers-would-reset-to-zero-and-life-as-we-knew-it-would-cease-to-exist-what-was-this-doomsday-theory-commonly-referred-to-as) a block device.


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/50601/what-is-a-special-file

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