NAME

       mkrescue - make rescue floppy or CD

SYNOPSIS

       /sbin/mkrescue makes 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 by providing the null  string
              (--append "").

       --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 of --size 1k
              blocks (default is 1440) mounted using a loopback  device,  creating  the  bootable  floppy,  then
              copying the entire file 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 information is to be taken.

       --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.

       --install [ text | menu ]
              Allows overriding the default human interface used with the rescue bootloader (configuration  file
              "install="  option). text is the default on 1.2MB and 1.44MB floppy disks, and menu 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 "wodim" may be used to burn the ISO file 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 -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 | 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 generated 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 number of mkrescue, then terminate.

SEE ALSO

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

                                                   6 Mar 2011                                        MKRESCUE(8)