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author | 2019-07-29 08:51:48 -0700 | |
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committer | 2019-07-29 08:51:48 -0700 | |
commit | ed32f8d42cee118b075e4372a55c7739a11094b2 (patch) | |
tree | 5a806c5168d4177e0536b98b6bda30ec4bdbac43 /Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst | |
parent | drm/i915: Flush the i915_vm_release before ggtt shutdown (diff) | |
parent | Linus 5.3-rc1 (diff) | |
download | linux-ed32f8d42cee118b075e4372a55c7739a11094b2.tar.gz linux-ed32f8d42cee118b075e4372a55c7739a11094b2.tar.bz2 linux-ed32f8d42cee118b075e4372a55c7739a11094b2.zip |
Merge drm/drm-next into drm-intel-next-queued
Catching up with 5.3-rc*
Signed-off-by: Rodrigo Vivi <rodrigo.vivi@intel.com>
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst')
-rw-r--r-- | Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst | 177 |
1 files changed, 177 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..b7c2268f8dec --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst @@ -0,0 +1,177 @@ +========================================== +Using the RAM disk block device with Linux +========================================== + +.. Contents: + + 1) Overview + 2) Kernel Command Line Parameters + 3) Using "rdev -r" + 4) An Example of Creating a Compressed RAM Disk + + +1) Overview +----------- + +The RAM disk driver is a way to use main system memory as a block device. It +is required for initrd, an initial filesystem used if you need to load modules +in order to access the root filesystem (see Documentation/admin-guide/initrd.rst). It can +also be used for a temporary filesystem for crypto work, since the contents +are erased on reboot. + +The RAM disk dynamically grows as more space is required. It does this by using +RAM from the buffer cache. The driver marks the buffers it is using as dirty +so that the VM subsystem does not try to reclaim them later. + +The RAM disk supports up to 16 RAM disks by default, and can be reconfigured +to support an unlimited number of RAM disks (at your own risk). Just change +the configuration symbol BLK_DEV_RAM_COUNT in the Block drivers config menu +and (re)build the kernel. + +To use RAM disk support with your system, run './MAKEDEV ram' from the /dev +directory. RAM disks are all major number 1, and start with minor number 0 +for /dev/ram0, etc. If used, modern kernels use /dev/ram0 for an initrd. + +The new RAM disk also has the ability to load compressed RAM disk images, +allowing one to squeeze more programs onto an average installation or +rescue floppy disk. + + +2) Parameters +--------------------------------- + +2a) Kernel Command Line Parameters + + ramdisk_size=N + Size of the ramdisk. + +This parameter tells the RAM disk driver to set up RAM disks of N k size. The +default is 4096 (4 MB). + +2b) Module parameters + + rd_nr + /dev/ramX devices created. + + max_part + Maximum partition number. + + rd_size + See ramdisk_size. + +3) Using "rdev -r" +------------------ + +The usage of the word (two bytes) that "rdev -r" sets in the kernel image is +as follows. The low 11 bits (0 -> 10) specify an offset (in 1 k blocks) of up +to 2 MB (2^11) of where to find the RAM disk (this used to be the size). Bit +14 indicates that a RAM disk is to be loaded, and bit 15 indicates whether a +prompt/wait sequence is to be given before trying to read the RAM disk. Since +the RAM disk dynamically grows as data is being written into it, a size field +is not required. Bits 11 to 13 are not currently used and may as well be zero. +These numbers are no magical secrets, as seen below:: + + ./arch/x86/kernel/setup.c:#define RAMDISK_IMAGE_START_MASK 0x07FF + ./arch/x86/kernel/setup.c:#define RAMDISK_PROMPT_FLAG 0x8000 + ./arch/x86/kernel/setup.c:#define RAMDISK_LOAD_FLAG 0x4000 + +Consider a typical two floppy disk setup, where you will have the +kernel on disk one, and have already put a RAM disk image onto disk #2. + +Hence you want to set bits 0 to 13 as 0, meaning that your RAM disk +starts at an offset of 0 kB from the beginning of the floppy. +The command line equivalent is: "ramdisk_start=0" + +You want bit 14 as one, indicating that a RAM disk is to be loaded. +The command line equivalent is: "load_ramdisk=1" + +You want bit 15 as one, indicating that you want a prompt/keypress +sequence so that you have a chance to switch floppy disks. +The command line equivalent is: "prompt_ramdisk=1" + +Putting that together gives 2^15 + 2^14 + 0 = 49152 for an rdev word. +So to create disk one of the set, you would do:: + + /usr/src/linux# cat arch/x86/boot/zImage > /dev/fd0 + /usr/src/linux# rdev /dev/fd0 /dev/fd0 + /usr/src/linux# rdev -r /dev/fd0 49152 + +If you make a boot disk that has LILO, then for the above, you would use:: + + append = "ramdisk_start=0 load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=1" + +Since the default start = 0 and the default prompt = 1, you could use:: + + append = "load_ramdisk=1" + + +4) An Example of Creating a Compressed RAM Disk +----------------------------------------------- + +To create a RAM disk image, you will need a spare block device to +construct it on. This can be the RAM disk device itself, or an +unused disk partition (such as an unmounted swap partition). For this +example, we will use the RAM disk device, "/dev/ram0". + +Note: This technique should not be done on a machine with less than 8 MB +of RAM. If using a spare disk partition instead of /dev/ram0, then this +restriction does not apply. + +a) Decide on the RAM disk size that you want. Say 2 MB for this example. + Create it by writing to the RAM disk device. (This step is not currently + required, but may be in the future.) It is wise to zero out the + area (esp. for disks) so that maximal compression is achieved for + the unused blocks of the image that you are about to create:: + + dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/ram0 bs=1k count=2048 + +b) Make a filesystem on it. Say ext2fs for this example:: + + mke2fs -vm0 /dev/ram0 2048 + +c) Mount it, copy the files you want to it (eg: /etc/* /dev/* ...) + and unmount it again. + +d) Compress the contents of the RAM disk. The level of compression + will be approximately 50% of the space used by the files. Unused + space on the RAM disk will compress to almost nothing:: + + dd if=/dev/ram0 bs=1k count=2048 | gzip -v9 > /tmp/ram_image.gz + +e) Put the kernel onto the floppy:: + + dd if=zImage of=/dev/fd0 bs=1k + +f) Put the RAM disk image onto the floppy, after the kernel. Use an offset + that is slightly larger than the kernel, so that you can put another + (possibly larger) kernel onto the same floppy later without overlapping + the RAM disk image. An offset of 400 kB for kernels about 350 kB in + size would be reasonable. Make sure offset+size of ram_image.gz is + not larger than the total space on your floppy (usually 1440 kB):: + + dd if=/tmp/ram_image.gz of=/dev/fd0 bs=1k seek=400 + +g) Use "rdev" to set the boot device, RAM disk offset, prompt flag, etc. + For prompt_ramdisk=1, load_ramdisk=1, ramdisk_start=400, one would + have 2^15 + 2^14 + 400 = 49552:: + + rdev /dev/fd0 /dev/fd0 + rdev -r /dev/fd0 49552 + +That is it. You now have your boot/root compressed RAM disk floppy. Some +users may wish to combine steps (d) and (f) by using a pipe. + + + Paul Gortmaker 12/95 + +Changelog: +---------- + +10-22-04 : + Updated to reflect changes in command line options, remove + obsolete references, general cleanup. + James Nelson (james4765@gmail.com) + + +12-95 : + Original Document |