1 .TH GENINITRD 8 "Wed Jul 27 2001"
4 geninitrd \- creates initial ramdisk images for preloading modules
6 \fBgeninitrd\fR [-fv] [--with=\fImodule\fR] [--preload=\fImodule\fR]
7 [--version] [--fstab=\fIfstab\fR] [--raidtab=\fIraidtab\fR]
8 [--modules-conf=\fImodules.conf\fR]
9 [--fs=rom|ext2|cram] \fIimage\fR \fIkernel-version\fR
11 \fBgeninitrd\fR creates filesystem images which are suitable for use
12 as Linux initial ramdisk (initrd) images. Such images are often
13 used for preloading the block device modules (such as IDE, SCSI or RAID)
14 which are needed to access the root filesystem. \fBgeninitrd\fR
15 automatically loads all \fIscsi_hostadapter\fR entries in
16 \fI/etc/modules.conf\fR when it finds that root fs is mounted on SCSI device,
17 which makes it simple to build and use kernels using modular SCSI devices.
18 It will also load IDE and RAID modules when needed.
20 Any module options specified in \fI/etc/modules.conf\fR are passed
21 to the modules as they are loaded by the initial ramdisk.
23 If the root filesystem is modular, initrd will automatically add the
24 filesystem's modules to the initrd image.
26 .\" If the root device is on a loop device (such as /dev/loop0), \fBgeninitrd\fR
27 .\" will attempt to build an initrd which sets up the loopback file properly.
28 .\" To do this, the fstab must contain a comment of the form:
30 .\" # LOOP0: /dev/hda1 vfat /linux/rootfs
32 .\" LOOP0 must be the name of the loop device which needs to be configured, in
33 .\" all capital lettes. The parameters after the color are the device which
34 .\" contains the filesystem with the loopback image on it, the filesystem which
35 .\" is on the device, and the full path to the loopback image.
40 Allows \fBgeninitrd\fR to overwrite an existing image file.
43 \fB-\-fstab=\fR\fIfstab\fR
44 Use \fIfstab\fR to automatically determine what type of filesystem the
45 root device is on. Normally, \fB/etc/fstab\fR is used.
48 \fB-\-raidtab=\fR\fIraidtab\fR
49 Use \fIraidtab\fR to automatically determine raid settings of the
50 root device. Normally, \fB/etc/raidtab\fR is used.
54 Only builds the image if their are modules that need to be loaded at boot
59 Append kernel version to initrd name.
63 Don't compress initrd.
67 Don't use Braindamaged Script Processor (/bin/bsp) and use /bin/trash instead.
70 \fB-\-preload=\fR\fImodule\fR
71 \fB-\-with=\fR\fImodule\fR
72 Load the module \fImodule\fR in the initial ramdisk image. The module gets
73 loaded before any SCSI modules which are specified in \fI/etc/modules.conf\fR.
74 This option may be used as many times as necessary.
78 Prints out verbose information while creating the image (normally
79 the \fBgeninitrd\fR runs silently).
83 Prints the version of \fBgeninitrd\fR that's being used and then exits.
86 \fB-\-fs=\fBext2\fR|\fBrom\fR|\fBcram\fR
87 Filesystem type to be used for the image. Only selected filesystem
88 should always be compiled into kernel.
93 \fI/etc/sysconfig/geninitrd\fR
94 Configuraton file with default options. Putting proper options there
95 helps automatic creation of initrd eg. on kernel upgrade
99 A block loopback device is used to create the image, which makes this
100 script useless on systems without block loopback support available.
103 \fI/etc/modules.conf\fR
104 Specified SCSI modules to be loaded and module options to be used.
116 geninitrd is based on mkinitrd by Erik Troan <ewt@redhat.com> and
118 Elliot Lee <sopwith@cuc.edu>
119 Miguel de Icaza <miguel@nuclecu.unam.mx>
120 Christian 'Dr. Disk' Hechelmann <drdisk@ds9.au.s.shuttle.de>
121 Michael K. Johnson <johnsonm@redhat.com>
122 Pierre Habraken <Pierre.Habraken@ujf-grenoble.fr>
123 Jakub Jelinek <jj@ultra.linux.cz>
124 Carlo Arenas Belon (carenas@chasqui.lared.net.pe>
126 geninitrd is writen by Jacek Konieczny <jajcus@pld.org.pl> and
127 contributors (in alphabetic order):
128 Artur Frysiak <wiget@pld.org.pl>
129 Dariusz Karolczak <inglod@pld.org.pl>
130 Tomasz K³oczko <kloczek@pld.org.pl>
131 Arkadiusz Mi¶kiewicz <misiek@pld.org.pl>
132 Micha³ Moskal <malekith@pld.org.pl>
133 Jan Rêkorajski <baggins@pld.org.pl>
134 Sebastian Zagrodzki <zagrodzki@pld.org.pl>
135 Micha³ Zawalich <michuz@pld.org.pl>
137 Manual page for geninitrd is based on mkinitrd.8 by Erik Troan
138 <ewt@redhat.com> and writen by Jacek Konieczny <jajcus@pld.org.pl>