MKRESCUE(8)

NAME
mkrescue - make rescue floppy

SYNOPSIS

/sbin/mkrescue - make a bootable rescue floppy or CD using the default kernel specified in lilo.conf.

DESCRIPTION

mkrescue takes its specifation for the kernel from the default image specified in /etc/lilo.conf. If the actual default is an other= specification, then use the first image= specification. Any associated initial 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 22.5.5 or later. mkrescue normally requires no options, unless a CD-image is desired (--iso).

OPTIONS

--append <string>
    Override any append= options taken from the default image. If there is any doubt about whether the lilo.conf options are correct, then specify no kernel parameters with: --append "", the null string.

--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 of "--size" 1k blocks (default is 1440) mounted using a loopback device, creating the bootable floppy, then copying the entire file to the disk. Currently, loopback device loop4 must be free for this option to be used.

--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.

--initrd <filepath>  and  --kernel <filepath>
    These options, which must be used together, allow specification of an arbitrary kernel file and initial ramdisk file 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.

--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 to a recordable CD medium.

--nocompact
    For faster kernel loading from a floppy, LILO map compaction is normally enabled. This option will disable map compaction by omitting the lilo "-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 specified 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 specification.

--size [ 1440 | 1200 | 2880 ]
    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 sizes are supported.

--version
    Print the version number of mkrescue, then terminate.

SEE ALSO
lilo(8), lilo.conf(5), mkfs(8), dd(1), mount(8), mkinitrd(8), mkisofs(8), cdrecord(1).

AUTHOR
John Coffman <johninsd@san.rr.com> (2.1)