# mknod /dev/null already exists, how to remove while running

## jeffk

How do I remove the /dev/null node without booting to a rescue cd?

```
mknod:

/dev/null already exists
```

FWIW, I am waiting till the dust settles on udev-18x, had many cycles of non-bootable updates:

```
$ sudo emerge world -Du --newuse --with-bdeps=y -pv

[ebuild  N     ] sys-apps/hwids-20120416  272 kB

[uninstall     ] sys-apps/usbutils-005  USE="python zlib -network-cron" 

[blocks b      ] <sys-apps/usbutils-005-r1 ("<sys-apps/usbutils-005-r1" is blocking sys-apps/hwids-20120416)

[ebuild     U  ] sys-apps/lshw-02.16b-r1 [02.16b] USE="gtk sqlite -static" 0 kB

[ebuild     U  ] sys-apps/pciutils-3.1.9-r2 [3.1.9-r1] USE="zlib* -static-libs (-compress-db%) (-network-cron%)" 0 kB

[blocks b      ] <sys-apps/pciutils-3.1.9-r2 ("<sys-apps/pciutils-3.1.9-r2" is blocking sys-apps/hwids-20120416)

[ebuild  N     ] sys-fs/udev-init-scripts-10  16 kB

[ebuild     U  ] sys-fs/udev-182-r3 [171-r5] USE="hwdb openrc%* rule_generator -build -debug -doc% -floppy -gudev* -introspection -keymap (-selinux) -static-libs% (-acl%*) (-action_modeswitch%) (-edd%) (-extras%*) (-test%)" 774 kB

[blocks b      ] <sys-fs/udev-182 ("<sys-fs/udev-182" is blocking sys-fs/udev-init-scripts-10)
```

Thanks for any suggestions.

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## NeddySeagoon

jeffk,

Why would you want to remove /dev/null  ?

Its one of two or three /dev entries that are required to boot - before udev starts.

If its not there your system won't boot.

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## jeffk

Thanks for the advice. I was only thinking the error message was telling me that my filesystem had a node /dev/null that was in the way of something udev-175-r1 wanted to do at boot time.

It hasn't affected my system, so I'll disregard the mknod warning until after I cross the udev-18x and related dependencies bridge.

Thanks,

Jeff

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## VoidMage

If it's the message I think it is, you don't really want to delete the one present, just bind-mount /dev and clean it.

Well, the other possible option is that you've misread the message and it actualy tells you the opposite (that /dev/null is not present).

----------

