/dev/null

alternative dev null · alternative dev-null · alternative devnull

1. computingA device file, present in Unix and Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, that discards all data written to it and yields no output, always presenting as an empty file when read.

   It's possible to suppress the compiler's warnings by redirecting standard error to /dev/null.

   3 more examples

   To avoid problems when running the script, the output of man man was sent to /dev/null instead of sending it to a real terminal. This has the effect of discarding the already formatted text of the retrieved page.

   1980 October, Luis F. Cabrera, “A Performance Evaluation Study of UNIX”, in Harold Joseph Highland, editor, Computer Performance Evaluation Users Group 16th Meeting (National Bureau of Standards Special Publication; 500-65), Washington: Government Printing Office, page 235

   [...] we reserve file descriptors 0, 1, and 2 by opening /dev/null and duplicating the file descriptor returned. /dev/null is a pseudo-driver that forces read to return 0 and write to return as if the entire amount requested had been written. This makes library routines that use file descriptors 0, 1, and 2 harmless.

   1993, Stephen A. Rago, UNIX System V Network Programming, Pearson, →ISBN, page 89

   Continuing in the Unix tradition of treating everything as a file, you can redirect a command's output to the null file, /dev/null. The null file consumes all output sent to it, as if /dev/null is a black hole star.

   2005, Eric Foster-Johnson with John C. Welch and Micah Anderson, Beginning Shell Scripting, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 263

2. InternetfigurativelyNowhere; often suggests an intent to ignore specific correspondence.

   suddenly the RLP calls form atlanta apparently go to dev null.

   1993 December 18, Carmien Stefan <carmien@alumni.cs.Colorado.EDU>, “RLP hosed”, in alt.unix.wizards (Usenet), message-ID <CI7Gt6.DAo@Colorado.EDU>

   2 more examples

   Thoughtful discussion and criticism is welcomed, but please send all flames to dev null.

   1992 September 17, Douglas Meier <dmeier@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>, “Welfare Reform Idea”, in talk.politics.misc (Usenet), message-ID <1992Sep17.064757.551@news.acns.nwu.edu>

   The email will explicitly state that you cannot reply to the email, it will go to dev null.

   2004 January 17, Ronald D. Edge <InactiveX666@hotmail.com>, “PayPal pyramid scam”, in news.admin.net-abuse.email (Usenet), message-ID <SDaOb.873$Ly6.642264@newshog.newsread.com>