mkinitramfs(8) - low-level tool for generating an initramfs image

amurleopard

MKINITRAMFS(8)		      mkinitramfs manual		MKINITRAMFS(8)

NAME
       mkinitramfs - low-level tool for generating an initramfs image

SYNOPSIS
       mkinitramfs  [-c  compress] [-d confdir] [-k] -o outfile [-r root] [-v]
       [version]

       mkinitramfs [--supported-host-version= hversion]

       mkinitramfs [--supported-target-version= tversion]

DESCRIPTION
       The mkinitramfs script generates an initramfs image.  The initramfs  is
       a  compressed  cpio archive. The archive can be used on a different box
       of the same arch with the corresponding Linux kernel.   mkinitramfs  is
       meant  for  advanced  usage.  On  your local box update-initramfs calls
       mkinitramfs  with  the  relevant  parameters.   update-initramfs  keeps
       sha1sum	of  generated initramfs. It takes care to generate backups and
       eventually runs the bootloader.

       At boot time, the kernel unpacks that archive into RAM disk, mounts and
       uses  it  as  initial  root file system. All finding of the root device
       happens in this early userspace.

OPTIONS
	-c  compress
	      Override the COMPRESS setting in initramfs.conf.

	-d  confdir
	      Set an alternate configuration directory.

	-k    Keep the temporary directory used to make the image.

	-o  outfile
	      Write the image to outfile.

	-r  root
	      Override the ROOT setting in initramfs.conf.

	-v    Set the verbose mode output.

	version
	      Set the kernel version of the initramfs image (defaults  to  the
	      running kernel).

       --supported-host-version=hversion
	      This option queries if mkinitramfs can create ramdisks on a run‐
	      ning kernel of version hversion.

       --supported-target-version=tversion
	      This option queries if mkinitramfs can create ramdisks for  ker‐
	      nel version tversion.

ENVIRONMENT
       mkinitramfs  honours  the  TMPDIR environment variable. If set, it uses
       subdirectories in the given directory to create its  temporary  working
       directories.  Else  it uses /var/tmp as default value for that purpose.
       The given directory should be on a filesystem which allows  the	execu‐
       tion of files stored there, i.e.  should not be mounted with the noexec
       mount option.

FILES
       /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf
	      The   default   configuration   file   for   the	 script.   See
	      initramfs.conf(5)  for a description of the available configura‐
	      tion parameter.

       /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
	      Specified modules will be put in the generated image and	loaded
	      when  the system boots. The format - one per line - is identical
	      to that of /etc/modules, which is described in modules(5).

       /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d
	      The  conf.d  directory  allows  one  to  hardcode  bootargs   at
	      initramfs build time via config snippets. This allows one to set
	      ROOT or RESUME.  This  is  especially  useful  for  bootloaders,
	      which do not pass an root bootarg.

       /etc/initramfs-tools/DSDT.aml
	      If  this	file exists, it will be appended to the initramfs in a
	      way that causes it to be loaded by ACPI.

EXAMPLES
       Create an initramfs for current running kernel:

       mkinitramfs -o ~/tmp/initramfs-$(uname -r)

       Create an initramfs for specific kernel and keep builddirs:

       mkinitramfs -k -o ~/tmp/initramfs-2.6.21-686 2.6.21-686

       Debug initramfs creation (check out written logfile)

       sh -x mkinitramfs -o ~/tmp/initramfs-$(uname -r) 2> ~/tmp/log

AUTHOR
       The initramfs-tools are written by Maximilian Attems <[email protected]>,
       Jeff Bailey <[email protected]> and numerous others.

SEE ALSO
	    initramfs.conf(5),	   initramfs-tools(8),	  update-initramfs(8),
       lsinitramfs(8).

Linux				  2010/04/07			MKINITRAMFS(8)