Executive Summary:

I have need of a new block device file in the /dev folder. I have used mknod and MAKEDEV to make the new device with the appropriate device major and minors, then when I issue the command to use the device file I get "can't open '/dev/nb1': No such device or address"

the file exists, and has the correct major and minor associated when I type ls.

What gives. I'm afraid I don't even know where to start, to figure out what is going on.

The Details and background:

I have a set top video player hooked to the big screen TV, I put movies (.avi,.mp4,. ect) on a USB stick and watch on the TV. I want to stream the movie files directly off of the computer where they are located, but the video box does not have network connectivity.

Enter the N800. I can plug the N800 into the video box via USB, and it looks like two USB sticks. But there is no access to the root file system, so NFS mounts are not accessible. I figure I need a Block device with the filesystem coming from the network.

Enter Network Block Devices. A block device file in /dev that has a filesystem supplied over the network. (my terminology may be wrong I don't know, but that's how I think of it.) So, I have set up my desktop to act as both client and server, and I can connect to and mount the movie directory so I know that is working and I have the correct syntax for the required incantations.

However, the N800 does not have any nbX devices in /dev like my desktop machine already did, so I had to add them myself. Also, it appears device files have become more complicated in that there now exists udev and device files created and destroyed on the fly. but still, how does a file exist in the directory listing, but not exist when a command goes to use it?

I am at a standstill on this.