return -1;
 }
 
+int get_device(const char *ifname, const char *dev_str,
+              block_dev_desc_t **dev_desc)
+{
+       char *ep;
+       int dev;
+
+       dev = simple_strtoul(dev_str, &ep, 16);
+       if (*ep) {
+               printf("** Bad device specification %s %s **\n",
+                      ifname, dev_str);
+               return -1;
+       }
+
+       *dev_desc = get_dev(ifname, dev);
+       if (!(*dev_desc) || ((*dev_desc)->type == DEV_TYPE_UNKNOWN)) {
+               printf("** Bad device %s %s **\n", ifname, dev_str);
+               return -1;
+       }
+
+       return dev;
+}
+
 int get_device_and_partition(const char *ifname, const char *dev_str,
                             block_dev_desc_t **dev_desc,
                             disk_partition_t *info)
 
 void print_part (block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc);
 void  init_part (block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc);
 void dev_print(block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc);
+int get_device(const char *ifname, const char *dev_str,
+              block_dev_desc_t **dev_desc);
 int get_device_and_partition(const char *ifname, const char *dev_str,
                             block_dev_desc_t **dev_desc,
                             disk_partition_t *info);
 static inline void print_part (block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc) {}
 static inline void  init_part (block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc) {}
 static inline void dev_print(block_dev_desc_t *dev_desc) {}
+static inline int get_device(const char *ifname, const char *dev_str,
+              block_dev_desc_t **dev_desc)
+{ return -1; }
 static inline int get_device_and_partition(const char *ifname,
                                           const char *dev_str,
                                           block_dev_desc_t **dev_desc,