Package mkinitrd: Information
Source package: mkinitrd
Version: 3.0.11-alt1
Build time: Jan 8, 2011, 04:58 PM
Category: System/Kernel and hardware
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License: GPL
Summary: Creates an initial ramdisk image for preloading modules
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 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. In other words, generic kernels can be built without drivers for any IDE/SCSI/RAID adapters which load appropriate driver as a module. Since the kernel needs to read those modules, but in this case it isn't able to address the IDE/SCSI/RAID adapter, an initial ramdisk is used. The initial ramdisk is loaded by the operating system loader (such as LILO or GRUB) and is available to the kernel as soon as the ramdisk is loaded. The ramdisk image loads the proper IDE/SCSI/RAID adapter and allows the kernel to mount the root filesystem. The mkinitrd program creates such a ramdisk using information found in the /etc/modules.conf file.
Maintainer: Sergey Vlasov
Last changed
Jan. 8, 2011 Sergey Vlasov 1:3.0.11-alt1
- mkinitrd: Fix RAID level detection for mdadm >= 3.0 (ALT#24875).
May 19, 2009 Sergey Vlasov 1:3.0.10-alt1
- mkinitrd: Add support for kernel-provided firmware (ALT#20103).
Dec. 11, 2008 Dmitry V. Levin 1:3.0.9-alt1
- mkinitrd: Removed non-initramfs image types support.