mkinitrd  -  creates initial ramdisk images for preloading
       modules


SYNOPSIS

       mkinitrd [-fv] [--with=module] [--preload=module]
                [--omit-scsi-modules]       [--omit-raid-modules]
       [--image-version]
                [--nocompress] [--version] [--fstab=fstab] image
                kernel-version


DESCRIPTION

       mkinitrd  creates filesystem images which are suitable for
       use as Linux initial ramdisk (initrd) images. Such  images
       are  often  used  for  preloading the block device modules
       (such as IDE, SCSI or RAID) which are needed to access the
       root  filesystem.  mkinitrd automatically loads filesystem
       modules  (such  as  ext3  and  jbd),  IDE   modules,   all
       scsi_hostadapter  entries  in  /etc/modules.conf, and raid
       modules if the system's root partition is on  raid,  which
       makes  it  simple  to  build and use kernels using modular
       device drivers.

       Any module  options  specified  in  /etc/modules.conf  are
       passed  to  the  modules as they are loaded by the initial
       ramdisk.

       If  the  root  device  is  on  a  loop  device  (such   as
       /dev/loop0),  mkinitrd  will  attempt  to  build an initrd
       which sets up the loopback file properly.  To do this, the
       fstab must contain a comment of the form:

           # LOOP0: /dev/hda1 vfat /linux/rootfs

       LOOP0  must  be the name of the loop device which needs to
       be configured, in all capital lettes. The parameters after
       the  colon  are  the  device which contains the filesystem
       with the loopback image on it, the filesystem which is  on
       the  device,  and  the full path to the loopback image. If
       the filesystem is modular, initrd will  automatically  add
       the filesystem's modules to the initrd image.


OPTIONS

       -f     Allows  mkinitrd  to  overwrite  an  existing image
              file.

       --fstab=fstab
              Use fstab to automatically determine what  type  of
              filesystem   the   root  device  is  on.  Normally,
              /etc/fstab is used.

              Only builds the image if  there  are  modules  that
              need to be loaded at boot time.

              --image-version   The   kernel  version  number  is
              appended to the initrd image path before the  image
              is created.

              --nocompress  Normally  the created initrd image is
              compressed with gzip. If this option is  specified,
              the compression is skipped.

       --omit-scsi-modules
              Do  not load any scsi modules, including 'scsi_mod'
              and 'sd_mod' modules, even if they are present.

       --omit-raid-modules
              Do not load any raid modules,  even  if  /etc/fstab
              and /etc/raidtab expect them.

       --preload=module
              Load  the  module  module  in  the  initial ramdisk
              image. The module gets loaded before any SCSI  mod­
              ules  which  are  specified  in  /etc/modules.conf.
              This option may be used as many times as necessary.

       -v     Prints  out  verbose information while creating the
              image (normally the mkinitrd runs silently).

       --version
              Prints the version of mkinitrd  that's  being  used
              and then exits.

       --with=module
              Load  the  modules  module  in  the initial ramdisk
              image. The module gets loaded after any  SCSI  mod­
              ules which are specified in /etc/modules.conf. This
              option may be used as many times as necessary.


FILES

       /dev/loop*          A block loopback  device  is  used  to
                           create  the  image,  which  makes this
                           script  useless  on  systems   without
                           block loopback support available.

       /etc/modules.conf   Specified  SCSI  modules  to be loaded
                           and module options to be used.

       fstab(5), insmod(1), kerneld(8), lilo(8)


AUTHOR

       Erik Troan <ewt@redhat.com>


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