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MKINITRAMFS(8)                mkinitramfs manual                MKINITRAMFS(8)



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


SYNOPSIS
       mkinitramfs [-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 gzipped 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
        -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.


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 to hardcode  bootargs  at  initramfs
              build  time  via  config  snippets.  This  allows 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 <maks@debian.org>,
       Jeff Bailey <jbailey@raspberryginger.com> and numerous others.


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



                              $Date: 2007/08/08 $               MKINITRAMFS(8)