MKRESCUE(8) MKRESCUE(8)
NAME
mkrescue - make rescue floppy
SYNOPSIS
/sbin/mkrescue - make a bootable rescue floppy or CD using the default
kernel specified in(1,8) lilo.conf.
DESCRIPTION
mkrescue takes its specifation for the kernel from the default image
specified in(1,8) /etc/lilo.conf. If the actual default is an other= speci-
fication, then use the first image= specification. Any associated ini-
tial ramdisk (initrd=), and append= options will also be used. The
root directory will be taken to be the current root. A bootable floppy
or CD-image will be created using LILO version(1,3,5) 22.5.5 or later. mkres-
cue normally requires no options, unless a CD-image is desired (--iso).
OPTIONS
--append <string(3,n)>
Override any append= options taken from the default image. If
there is any doubt about whether the lilo.conf options are cor-
rect, then specify no kernel parameters with: --append "", the
null string.
--debug
Provide verbose output of the operation of "mkrescue", pausing
to allow the setting of internal operating parameters to be
viewed. "<CR>" must be hit to proceed from these pauses.
--device <device>
Make the floppy on a device other than /dev/fd0. The floppy
disk will always be made to boot on BIOS device code 0x00 (A:
drive), without regard to the drive on which it is created.
--fast Use a faster method of creating the boot floppy. This involves
first creating a file(1,n) of "--size" 1k blocks (default is 1440)
mounted using a loopback device, creating the bootable floppy,
then copying the entire file(1,n) to the disk.
--fs [ ext2 | msdos | minix ]
Specify the type of filesystem to create on the drive. ext2 is
the default, but "msdos" and "minix" allow slightly more disk
sectors for really big kernels.
--help Print a short usage synopsis, including a list of command
options.
--image <label>
Specifies the label or alias of the particular image from which
the append, initial ramdisk, root, keytable, and kernel informa-
tion is to be taken.
--initrd <filepath> and --kernel <filepath>
These options, which must be used together, allow specification
of an arbitrary kernel file(1,n) and initial ramdisk file(1,n) to be used
on the created boot floppy. Be sure you know what you are doing
before you use these options. If no inital ramdisk is needed
with a particular kernel, then you MUST specify --initrd "",
meaning a null pathname.
--install [ text | menu(3x,n,n tk_menuSetFocus) ]
Allows overriding the default human interface used with the res-
cue bootloader (configuration file(1,n) "install=" option). "text" is
the default on 1.2MB and 1.44MB floppy disks, and "menu(3x,n,n tk_menuSetFocus)" is the
default on 2.88MB floppies and HD emulation on CD-R media.
--iso Create an ISO-9660 bootable CD image (El Torito Format) suitable
for burning to a CD-R or CD-RW. The --device specification
defaults to the filename "rescue.iso", and the --size defaults
to 2880. A utility such as cdrecord may be used to burn the ISO
file(1,n) to a recordable CD medium. With this ISO option, the
--size HD option is allowed.
--nocompact
For faster kernel loading from a floppy, LILO map compaction is
normally enabled. This option will disable map compaction by
omitting the lilo(5,8) "-c" switch.
--noformat
Suppresses creation of a new filesystem on the boot floppy. This
option may be used only when you know that the floppy you will
be writing upon is formatted with the same filesystem as speci-
fied by "--fs XXX" (default is ext2).
--root <device>
Specify the root filesystem for the kernel on the boot floppy.
The currently mounted root is taken as the default specifica-
tion.
--size [ 1440 | 1200 | 2880 | HD ]
The default floppy disk size is 1440, meaning a 1.44MB floppy.
When --iso is specified, the default size is 2880. Allowed
specifications are 1200, 1440, or 2880, meaning a 1.2MB, 1.44MB
or 2.88MB floppy, respectively. No other floppy disk sizes are
supported.
The HD specification, meaning "hard disk", may only be used with
the --iso option, to indicate a 16MB hard disk is to be gener-
ated for emulation. This allows for very large kernel / initial
ramdisk combinations on CD-R. The hard disk image is created
using loopback devices "/dev/loop0" and "/dev/loop1", which must
be free to utilize this size option.
--version
Print the version(1,3,5) number of mkrescue, then terminate.
SEE ALSO
lilo(5,8)(8), lilo.conf(5), mkfs(8), dd(1), mount(2,8)(8), mkinitrd(8),
mkisofs(8), cdrecord(1).
AUTHOR
John Coffman <johninsd@san.rr.com> (3.0)
16 Nov 2004 MKRESCUE(8)