Linux内核中所有已分配的字符设备编号都记录在一个名为 chrdevs 散列表里。该散列表中的每一个元素是一个 char_device_struct 结构，它的定义如下：

static struct char_device_struct {
struct char_device_struct *next; // 指向散列冲突链表中的下一个元素的指针
unsigned int major; // 主设备号
unsigned int baseminor; // 起始次设备号
int minorct; // 设备编号的范围大小
char name[64]; // 处理该设备编号范围内的设备驱动的名称
struct file_operations *fops; // 没有使用
struct cdev *cdev; // 指向字符设备驱动程序描述符的指针
} *chrdevs[CHRDEV_MAJOR_HASH_SIZE];

注册
内核提供了三个函数来注册一组字符设备编号，这三个函数分别是 register_chrdev_region()、alloc_chrdev_region() 和 register_chrdev()。这三个函数都会调用一个共用的 __register_chrdev_region() 函数来注册一组设备编号范围（即一个 char_device_struct 结构）。

register_chrdev_region(dev_t first,unsigned int count,char *name)
First :要分配的设备编号范围的初始值(次设备号常设为0);
Count:连续编号范围.
Name:编号相关联的设备名称. (/proc/devices);
动态分配:
Int alloc_chrdev_region(dev_t *dev,unsigned int firstminor,unsigned int count,char *name);
Firstminor : 通常为0;
*dev:存放返回的设备号;
释放:
Void unregist_chrdev_region(dev_t first,unsigned int count);
调用Documentation/devices.txt中能够找到已分配的设备号．

所以下面先来看一下 __register_chrdev_region() 函数的实现代码。

static struct char_device_struct * __register_chrdev_region(unsigned int major, unsigned int baseminor, int minorct, const char *name)
{
struct char_device_struct *cd, **cp;
int ret = 0;
int i;

cd = kzalloc(sizeof(struct char_device_struct), GFP_KERNEL);
if (cd == NULL)
return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);

mutex_lock(&chrdevs_lock);

if (major == 0) {
for (i = ARRAY_SIZE(chrdevs)-1; i > 0; i--)
if (chrdevs[i] == NULL)
break;

if (i == 0) {
ret = -EBUSY;
goto out;
}
major = i;
ret = major;
}

cd->major = major;
cd->baseminor = baseminor;
cd->minorct = minorct;
strncpy(cd->name,name, 64);

i = major_to_index(major);

for (cp = &chrdevs[i]; *cp; cp = &(*cp)->next)
if ((*cp)->major > major ||
((*cp)->major == major && ( ((*cp)->baseminor >= baseminor) || ((*cp)->baseminor + (*cp)->minorct > baseminor)) ))
break;

if (*cp && (*cp)->major == major) {
int old_min = (*cp)->baseminor;
int old_max = (*cp)->baseminor + (*cp)->minorct - 1;
int new_min = baseminor;
int new_max = baseminor + minorct - 1;

if (new_max >= old_min && new_max <= old_max) {
ret = -EBUSY;
goto out;
}

if (new_min <= old_max && new_min >= old_min) {
ret = -EBUSY;
goto out;
}
}

cd->next = *cp;
*cp = cd;
mutex_unlock(&chrdevs_lock);
return cd;
out:
mutex_unlock(&chrdevs_lock);
kfree(cd);
return ERR_PTR(ret);
}