Documentation/initrd.txt - kernel/msm-4.19 - Gitiles

 Using the initial RAM disk (initrd)
 ===================================

 Written 1996,2000 by Werner Almesberger <werner.almesberger@epfl.ch> and
                      Hans Lermen <lermen@fgan.de>


 initrd provides the capability to load a RAM disk by the boot loader.
 This RAM disk can then be mounted as the root file system and programs
 can be run from it. Afterwards, a new root file system can be mounted
 from a different device. The previous root (from initrd) is then moved
 to a directory and can be subsequently unmounted.

 initrd is mainly designed to allow system startup to occur in two phases,
 where the kernel comes up with a minimum set of compiled-in drivers, and
 where additional modules are loaded from initrd.

 This document gives a brief overview of the use of initrd. A more detailed
 discussion of the boot process can be found in [1].


 Operation
 ---------

 When using initrd, the system typically boots as follows:

   1) the boot loader loads the kernel and the initial RAM disk
   2) the kernel converts initrd into a "normal" RAM disk and
      frees the memory used by initrd
   3) initrd is mounted read-write as root
   4) /linuxrc is executed (this can be any valid executable, including
      shell scripts; it is run with uid 0 and can do basically everything
      init can do)
   5) linuxrc mounts the "real" root file system
   6) linuxrc places the root file system at the root directory using the
      pivot_root system call
   7) the usual boot sequence (e.g. invocation of /sbin/init) is performed
      on the root file system
   8) the initrd file system is removed

 Note that changing the root directory does not involve unmounting it.
 It is therefore possible to leave processes running on initrd during that
 procedure. Also note that file systems mounted under initrd continue to
 be accessible.


 Boot command-line options
 -------------------------

 initrd adds the following new options:

   initrd=<path>    (e.g. LOADLIN)

     Loads the specified file as the initial RAM disk. When using LILO, you
     have to specify the RAM disk image file in /etc/lilo.conf, using the
     INITRD configuration variable.

   noinitrd

     initrd data is preserved but it is not converted to a RAM disk and
     the "normal" root file system is mounted. initrd data can be read
     from /dev/initrd. Note that the data in initrd can have any structure
     in this case and doesn't necessarily have to be a file system image.
     This option is used mainly for debugging.

     Note: /dev/initrd is read-only and it can only be used once. As soon
     as the last process has closed it, all data is freed and /dev/initrd
     can't be opened anymore.

   root=/dev/ram0   (without devfs)
   root=/dev/rd/0   (with devfs)

     initrd is mounted as root, and the normal boot procedure is followed,
     with the RAM disk still mounted as root.


 Installation
 ------------

 First, a directory for the initrd file system has to be created on the
 "normal" root file system, e.g.

 # mkdir /initrd

 The name is not relevant. More details can be found on the pivot_root(2)
 man page.

 If the root file system is created during the boot procedure (i.e. if
 you're building an install floppy), the root file system creation
 procedure should create the /initrd directory.

 If initrd will not be mounted in some cases, its content is still
 accessible if the following device has been created (note that this
 does not work if using devfs):

 # mknod /dev/initrd b 1 250
 # chmod 400 /dev/initrd

 Second, the kernel has to be compiled with RAM disk support and with
 support for the initial RAM disk enabled. Also, at least all components
 needed to execute programs from initrd (e.g. executable format and file
 system) must be compiled into the kernel.

 Third, you have to create the RAM disk image. This is done by creating a
 file system on a block device, copying files to it as needed, and then
 copying the content of the block device to the initrd file. With recent
 kernels, at least three types of devices are suitable for that:

  - a floppy disk (works everywhere but it's painfully slow)
  - a RAM disk (fast, but allocates physical memory)
  - a loopback device (the most elegant solution)

 We'll describe the loopback device method:

  1) make sure loopback block devices are configured into the kernel
  2) create an empty file system of the appropriate size, e.g.
     # dd if=/dev/zero of=initrd bs=300k count=1
     # mke2fs -F -m0 initrd
     (if space is critical, you may want to use the Minix FS instead of Ext2)
  3) mount the file system, e.g.
     # mount -t ext2 -o loop initrd /mnt
  4) create the console device (not necessary if using devfs, but it can't
     hurt to do it anyway):
     # mkdir /mnt/dev
     # mknod /mnt/dev/console c 5 1
  5) copy all the files that are needed to properly use the initrd
     environment. Don't forget the most important file, /linuxrc
     Note that /linuxrc's permissions must include "x" (execute).
  6) correct operation the initrd environment can frequently be tested
     even without rebooting with the command
     # chroot /mnt /linuxrc
     This is of course limited to initrds that do not interfere with the
     general system state (e.g. by reconfiguring network interfaces,
     overwriting mounted devices, trying to start already running demons,
     etc. Note however that it is usually possible to use pivot_root in
     such a chroot'ed initrd environment.)
  7) unmount the file system
     # umount /mnt
  8) the initrd is now in the file "initrd". Optionally, it can now be
     compressed
     # gzip -9 initrd

 For experimenting with initrd, you may want to take a rescue floppy and
 only add a symbolic link from /linuxrc to /bin/sh. Alternatively, you
 can try the experimental newlib environment [2] to create a small
 initrd.

 Finally, you have to boot the kernel and load initrd. Almost all Linux
 boot loaders support initrd. Since the boot process is still compatible
 with an older mechanism, the following boot command line parameters
 have to be given:

   root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc rw

 if not using devfs, or

   root=/dev/rd/0 init=/linuxrc rw

 if using devfs. (rw is only necessary if writing to the initrd file
 system.)

 With LOADLIN, you simply execute

      LOADLIN <kernel> initrd=<disk_image>
 e.g. LOADLIN C:\LINUX\BZIMAGE initrd=C:\LINUX\INITRD.GZ root=/dev/ram0
        init=/linuxrc rw

 With LILO, you add the option INITRD=<path> to either the global section
 or to the section of the respective kernel in /etc/lilo.conf, and pass
 the options using APPEND, e.g.

   image = /bzImage
     initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
     append = "root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc rw"

 and run /sbin/lilo

 For other boot loaders, please refer to the respective documentation.

 Now you can boot and enjoy using initrd.


 Changing the root device
 ------------------------

 When finished with its duties, linuxrc typically changes the root device
 and proceeds with starting the Linux system on the "real" root device.

 The procedure involves the following steps:
  - mounting the new root file system
  - turning it into the root file system
  - removing all accesses to the old (initrd) root file system
  - unmounting the initrd file system and de-allocating the RAM disk

 Mounting the new root file system is easy: it just needs to be mounted on
 a directory under the current root. Example:

 # mkdir /new-root
 # mount -o ro /dev/hda1 /new-root

 The root change is accomplished with the pivot_root system call, which
 is also available via the pivot_root utility (see pivot_root(8) man
 page; pivot_root is distributed with util-linux version 2.10h or higher
 [3]). pivot_root moves the current root to a directory under the new
 root, and puts the new root at its place. The directory for the old root
 must exist before calling pivot_root. Example:

 # cd /new-root
 # mkdir initrd
 # pivot_root . initrd

 Now, the linuxrc process may still access the old root via its
 executable, shared libraries, standard input/output/error, and its
 current root directory. All these references are dropped by the
 following command:

 # exec chroot . what-follows <dev/console >dev/console 2>&1

 Where what-follows is a program under the new root, e.g. /sbin/init
 If the new root file system will be used with devfs and has no valid
 /dev directory, devfs must be mounted before invoking chroot in order to
 provide /dev/console.

 Note: implementation details of pivot_root may change with time. In order
 to ensure compatibility, the following points should be observed:

  - before calling pivot_root, the current directory of the invoking
    process should point to the new root directory
  - use . as the first argument, and the _relative_ path of the directory
    for the old root as the second argument
  - a chroot program must be available under the old and the new root
  - chroot to the new root afterwards
  - use relative paths for dev/console in the exec command

 Now, the initrd can be unmounted and the memory allocated by the RAM
 disk can be freed:

 # umount /initrd
 # blockdev --flushbufs /dev/ram0    # /dev/rd/0 if using devfs

 It is also possible to use initrd with an NFS-mounted root, see the
 pivot_root(8) man page for details.

 Note: if linuxrc or any program exec'ed from it terminates for some
 reason, the old change_root mechanism is invoked (see section "Obsolete
 root change mechanism").


 Usage scenarios
 ---------------

 The main motivation for implementing initrd was to allow for modular
 kernel configuration at system installation. The procedure would work
 as follows:

   1) system boots from floppy or other media with a minimal kernel
      (e.g. support for RAM disks, initrd, a.out, and the Ext2 FS) and
      loads initrd
   2) /linuxrc determines what is needed to (1) mount the "real" root FS
      (i.e. device type, device drivers, file system) and (2) the
      distribution media (e.g. CD-ROM, network, tape, ...). This can be
      done by asking the user, by auto-probing, or by using a hybrid
      approach.
   3) /linuxrc loads the necessary kernel modules
   4) /linuxrc creates and populates the root file system (this doesn't
      have to be a very usable system yet)
   5) /linuxrc invokes pivot_root to change the root file system and
      execs - via chroot - a program that continues the installation
   6) the boot loader is installed
   7) the boot loader is configured to load an initrd with the set of
      modules that was used to bring up the system (e.g. /initrd can be
      modified, then unmounted, and finally, the image is written from
      /dev/ram0 or /dev/rd/0 to a file)
   8) now the system is bootable and additional installation tasks can be
      performed

 The key role of initrd here is to re-use the configuration data during
 normal system operation without requiring the use of a bloated "generic"
 kernel or re-compiling or re-linking the kernel.

 A second scenario is for installations where Linux runs on systems with
 different hardware configurations in a single administrative domain. In
 such cases, it is desirable to generate only a small set of kernels
 (ideally only one) and to keep the system-specific part of configuration
 information as small as possible. In this case, a common initrd could be
 generated with all the necessary modules. Then, only /linuxrc or a file
 read by it would have to be different.

 A third scenario are more convenient recovery disks, because information
 like the location of the root FS partition doesn't have to be provided at
 boot time, but the system loaded from initrd can invoke a user-friendly
 dialog and it can also perform some sanity checks (or even some form of
 auto-detection).

 Last not least, CD-ROM distributors may use it for better installation
 from CD, e.g. by using a boot floppy and bootstrapping a bigger RAM disk
 via initrd from CD; or by booting via a loader like LOADLIN or directly
 from the CD-ROM, and loading the RAM disk from CD without need of
 floppies.


 Obsolete root change mechanism
 ------------------------------

 The following mechanism was used before the introduction of pivot_root.
 Current kernels still support it, but you should _not_ rely on its
 continued availability.

 It works by mounting the "real" root device (i.e. the one set with rdev
 in the kernel image or with root=... at the boot command line) as the
 root file system when linuxrc exits. The initrd file system is then
 unmounted, or, if it is still busy, moved to a directory /initrd, if
 such a directory exists on the new root file system.

 In order to use this mechanism, you do not have to specify the boot
 command options root, init, or rw. (If specified, they will affect
 the real root file system, not the initrd environment.)

 If /proc is mounted, the "real" root device can be changed from within
 linuxrc by writing the number of the new root FS device to the special
 file /proc/sys/kernel/real-root-dev, e.g.

   # echo 0x301 >/proc/sys/kernel/real-root-dev

 Note that the mechanism is incompatible with NFS and similar file
 systems.

 This old, deprecated mechanism is commonly called "change_root", while
 the new, supported mechanism is called "pivot_root".


 Resources
 ---------

 [1] Almesberger, Werner; "Booting Linux: The History and the Future"
     http://www.almesberger.net/cv/papers/ols2k-9.ps.gz
 [2] newlib package (experimental), with initrd example
     http://sources.redhat.com/newlib/
 [3] Brouwer, Andries; "util-linux: Miscellaneous utilities for Linux"
     ftp://ftp.win.tue.nl/pub/linux-local/utils/util-linux/
	Using the initial RAM disk (initrd)
	===================================

	Written 1996,2000 by Werner Almesberger <werner.almesberger@epfl.ch> and
	Hans Lermen <lermen@fgan.de>


	initrd provides the capability to load a RAM disk by the boot loader.
	This RAM disk can then be mounted as the root file system and programs
	can be run from it. Afterwards, a new root file system can be mounted
	from a different device. The previous root (from initrd) is then moved
	to a directory and can be subsequently unmounted.

	initrd is mainly designed to allow system startup to occur in two phases,
	where the kernel comes up with a minimum set of compiled-in drivers, and
	where additional modules are loaded from initrd.

	This document gives a brief overview of the use of initrd. A more detailed
	discussion of the boot process can be found in [1].


	Operation
	---------

	When using initrd, the system typically boots as follows:

	1) the boot loader loads the kernel and the initial RAM disk
	2) the kernel converts initrd into a "normal" RAM disk and
	frees the memory used by initrd
	3) initrd is mounted read-write as root
	4) /linuxrc is executed (this can be any valid executable, including
	shell scripts; it is run with uid 0 and can do basically everything
	init can do)
	5) linuxrc mounts the "real" root file system
	6) linuxrc places the root file system at the root directory using the
	pivot_root system call
	7) the usual boot sequence (e.g. invocation of /sbin/init) is performed
	on the root file system
	8) the initrd file system is removed

	Note that changing the root directory does not involve unmounting it.
	It is therefore possible to leave processes running on initrd during that
	procedure. Also note that file systems mounted under initrd continue to
	be accessible.


	Boot command-line options
	-------------------------

	initrd adds the following new options:

	initrd=<path> (e.g. LOADLIN)

	Loads the specified file as the initial RAM disk. When using LILO, you
	have to specify the RAM disk image file in /etc/lilo.conf, using the
	INITRD configuration variable.

	noinitrd

	initrd data is preserved but it is not converted to a RAM disk and
	the "normal" root file system is mounted. initrd data can be read
	from /dev/initrd. Note that the data in initrd can have any structure
	in this case and doesn't necessarily have to be a file system image.
	This option is used mainly for debugging.

	Note: /dev/initrd is read-only and it can only be used once. As soon
	as the last process has closed it, all data is freed and /dev/initrd
	can't be opened anymore.

	root=/dev/ram0 (without devfs)
	root=/dev/rd/0 (with devfs)

	initrd is mounted as root, and the normal boot procedure is followed,
	with the RAM disk still mounted as root.


	Installation
	------------

	First, a directory for the initrd file system has to be created on the
	"normal" root file system, e.g.

	# mkdir /initrd

	The name is not relevant. More details can be found on the pivot_root(2)
	man page.

	If the root file system is created during the boot procedure (i.e. if
	you're building an install floppy), the root file system creation
	procedure should create the /initrd directory.

	If initrd will not be mounted in some cases, its content is still
	accessible if the following device has been created (note that this
	does not work if using devfs):

	# mknod /dev/initrd b 1 250
	# chmod 400 /dev/initrd

	Second, the kernel has to be compiled with RAM disk support and with
	support for the initial RAM disk enabled. Also, at least all components
	needed to execute programs from initrd (e.g. executable format and file
	system) must be compiled into the kernel.

	Third, you have to create the RAM disk image. This is done by creating a
	file system on a block device, copying files to it as needed, and then
	copying the content of the block device to the initrd file. With recent
	kernels, at least three types of devices are suitable for that:

	- a floppy disk (works everywhere but it's painfully slow)
	- a RAM disk (fast, but allocates physical memory)
	- a loopback device (the most elegant solution)

	We'll describe the loopback device method:

	1) make sure loopback block devices are configured into the kernel
	2) create an empty file system of the appropriate size, e.g.
	# dd if=/dev/zero of=initrd bs=300k count=1
	# mke2fs -F -m0 initrd
	(if space is critical, you may want to use the Minix FS instead of Ext2)
	3) mount the file system, e.g.
	# mount -t ext2 -o loop initrd /mnt
	4) create the console device (not necessary if using devfs, but it can't
	hurt to do it anyway):
	# mkdir /mnt/dev
	# mknod /mnt/dev/console c 5 1
	5) copy all the files that are needed to properly use the initrd
	environment. Don't forget the most important file, /linuxrc
	Note that /linuxrc's permissions must include "x" (execute).
	6) correct operation the initrd environment can frequently be tested
	even without rebooting with the command
	# chroot /mnt /linuxrc
	This is of course limited to initrds that do not interfere with the
	general system state (e.g. by reconfiguring network interfaces,
	overwriting mounted devices, trying to start already running demons,
	etc. Note however that it is usually possible to use pivot_root in
	such a chroot'ed initrd environment.)
	7) unmount the file system
	# umount /mnt
	8) the initrd is now in the file "initrd". Optionally, it can now be
	compressed
	# gzip -9 initrd

	For experimenting with initrd, you may want to take a rescue floppy and
	only add a symbolic link from /linuxrc to /bin/sh. Alternatively, you
	can try the experimental newlib environment [2] to create a small
	initrd.

	Finally, you have to boot the kernel and load initrd. Almost all Linux
	boot loaders support initrd. Since the boot process is still compatible
	with an older mechanism, the following boot command line parameters
	have to be given:

	root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc rw

	if not using devfs, or

	root=/dev/rd/0 init=/linuxrc rw

	if using devfs. (rw is only necessary if writing to the initrd file
	system.)

	With LOADLIN, you simply execute

	LOADLIN <kernel> initrd=<disk_image>
	e.g. LOADLIN C:\LINUX\BZIMAGE initrd=C:\LINUX\INITRD.GZ root=/dev/ram0
	init=/linuxrc rw

	With LILO, you add the option INITRD=<path> to either the global section
	or to the section of the respective kernel in /etc/lilo.conf, and pass
	the options using APPEND, e.g.

	image = /bzImage
	initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
	append = "root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc rw"

	and run /sbin/lilo

	For other boot loaders, please refer to the respective documentation.

	Now you can boot and enjoy using initrd.


	Changing the root device
	------------------------

	When finished with its duties, linuxrc typically changes the root device
	and proceeds with starting the Linux system on the "real" root device.

	The procedure involves the following steps:
	- mounting the new root file system
	- turning it into the root file system
	- removing all accesses to the old (initrd) root file system
	- unmounting the initrd file system and de-allocating the RAM disk

	Mounting the new root file system is easy: it just needs to be mounted on
	a directory under the current root. Example:

	# mkdir /new-root
	# mount -o ro /dev/hda1 /new-root

	The root change is accomplished with the pivot_root system call, which
	is also available via the pivot_root utility (see pivot_root(8) man
	page; pivot_root is distributed with util-linux version 2.10h or higher
	[3]). pivot_root moves the current root to a directory under the new
	root, and puts the new root at its place. The directory for the old root
	must exist before calling pivot_root. Example:

	# cd /new-root
	# mkdir initrd
	# pivot_root . initrd

	Now, the linuxrc process may still access the old root via its
	executable, shared libraries, standard input/output/error, and its
	current root directory. All these references are dropped by the
	following command:

	# exec chroot . what-follows <dev/console >dev/console 2>&1

	Where what-follows is a program under the new root, e.g. /sbin/init
	If the new root file system will be used with devfs and has no valid
	/dev directory, devfs must be mounted before invoking chroot in order to
	provide /dev/console.

	Note: implementation details of pivot_root may change with time. In order
	to ensure compatibility, the following points should be observed:

	- before calling pivot_root, the current directory of the invoking
	process should point to the new root directory
	- use . as the first argument, and the _relative_ path of the directory
	for the old root as the second argument
	- a chroot program must be available under the old and the new root
	- chroot to the new root afterwards
	- use relative paths for dev/console in the exec command

	Now, the initrd can be unmounted and the memory allocated by the RAM
	disk can be freed:

	# umount /initrd
	# blockdev --flushbufs /dev/ram0 # /dev/rd/0 if using devfs

	It is also possible to use initrd with an NFS-mounted root, see the
	pivot_root(8) man page for details.

	Note: if linuxrc or any program exec'ed from it terminates for some
	reason, the old change_root mechanism is invoked (see section "Obsolete
	root change mechanism").


	Usage scenarios
	---------------

	The main motivation for implementing initrd was to allow for modular
	kernel configuration at system installation. The procedure would work
	as follows:

	1) system boots from floppy or other media with a minimal kernel
	(e.g. support for RAM disks, initrd, a.out, and the Ext2 FS) and
	loads initrd
	2) /linuxrc determines what is needed to (1) mount the "real" root FS
	(i.e. device type, device drivers, file system) and (2) the
	distribution media (e.g. CD-ROM, network, tape, ...). This can be
	done by asking the user, by auto-probing, or by using a hybrid
	approach.
	3) /linuxrc loads the necessary kernel modules
	4) /linuxrc creates and populates the root file system (this doesn't
	have to be a very usable system yet)
	5) /linuxrc invokes pivot_root to change the root file system and
	execs - via chroot - a program that continues the installation
	6) the boot loader is installed
	7) the boot loader is configured to load an initrd with the set of
	modules that was used to bring up the system (e.g. /initrd can be
	modified, then unmounted, and finally, the image is written from
	/dev/ram0 or /dev/rd/0 to a file)
	8) now the system is bootable and additional installation tasks can be
	performed

	The key role of initrd here is to re-use the configuration data during
	normal system operation without requiring the use of a bloated "generic"
	kernel or re-compiling or re-linking the kernel.

	A second scenario is for installations where Linux runs on systems with
	different hardware configurations in a single administrative domain. In
	such cases, it is desirable to generate only a small set of kernels
	(ideally only one) and to keep the system-specific part of configuration
	information as small as possible. In this case, a common initrd could be
	generated with all the necessary modules. Then, only /linuxrc or a file
	read by it would have to be different.

	A third scenario are more convenient recovery disks, because information
	like the location of the root FS partition doesn't have to be provided at
	boot time, but the system loaded from initrd can invoke a user-friendly
	dialog and it can also perform some sanity checks (or even some form of
	auto-detection).

	Last not least, CD-ROM distributors may use it for better installation
	from CD, e.g. by using a boot floppy and bootstrapping a bigger RAM disk
	via initrd from CD; or by booting via a loader like LOADLIN or directly
	from the CD-ROM, and loading the RAM disk from CD without need of
	floppies.


	Obsolete root change mechanism
	------------------------------

	The following mechanism was used before the introduction of pivot_root.
	Current kernels still support it, but you should _not_ rely on its
	continued availability.

	It works by mounting the "real" root device (i.e. the one set with rdev
	in the kernel image or with root=... at the boot command line) as the
	root file system when linuxrc exits. The initrd file system is then
	unmounted, or, if it is still busy, moved to a directory /initrd, if
	such a directory exists on the new root file system.

	In order to use this mechanism, you do not have to specify the boot
	command options root, init, or rw. (If specified, they will affect
	the real root file system, not the initrd environment.)

	If /proc is mounted, the "real" root device can be changed from within
	linuxrc by writing the number of the new root FS device to the special
	file /proc/sys/kernel/real-root-dev, e.g.

	# echo 0x301 >/proc/sys/kernel/real-root-dev

	Note that the mechanism is incompatible with NFS and similar file
	systems.

	This old, deprecated mechanism is commonly called "change_root", while
	the new, supported mechanism is called "pivot_root".


	Resources
	---------

	[1] Almesberger, Werner; "Booting Linux: The History and the Future"
	http://www.almesberger.net/cv/papers/ols2k-9.ps.gz
	[2] newlib package (experimental), with initrd example
	http://sources.redhat.com/newlib/
	[3] Brouwer, Andries; "util-linux: Miscellaneous utilities for Linux"
	ftp://ftp.win.tue.nl/pub/linux-local/utils/util-linux/