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| author | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-08-23 13:28:57 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> | 2026-08-23 13:28:57 -0700 |
| commit | 4352b8aee98005853aa63f57d6377282de17a33f (patch) | |
| tree | 27614d7a9ef05c32d089004e104364ce42324837 /Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst | |
| download | linux-stable-4352b8aee98005853aa63f57d6377282de17a33f.tar.gz linux-stable-4352b8aee98005853aa63f57d6377282de17a33f.zip | |
Merge tag 'i3c/for-7.3' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/i3c/linuxgrafted
Pull I3C updates from Alexandre Belloni:
"A new driver this cycle, for the AMD AXI I3C controller.
There are also new features such as IBI wakeup support, SETAASA device
discovery and ACPI support for the the DAA methods, meaning we can now
communicate with the SPD devices on DDR5 modules.
New driver:
- AMD AXI I3C master controller
Subsystem:
- I3C Common Command Code (CCC) handling improvements, especially
around GET CCCs
- SETAASA device discovery support
- ACPI support for all existing DAA methods like SETDASA, SETNEWDA as
well as I2C devices on I3C bus
- IBI-based wakeup support
Drivers:
- dw: SETAASA support
- mipi-i3c-hci: advertise IBI wakeup capability, AMD_PT I3C
controller support, PIO queue management support for HCI v1.2
- renesas: improve suspend to RAM support, add runtime PM support"
* tag 'i3c/for-7.3' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/i3c/linux: (70 commits)
i3c: dw: reduce do_daa time if there's no client
i3c: mipi-i3c-hci: Add support for AMD_PT I3C controller
i3c: mipi-i3c-hci: Add PIO queue management support for HCI v1.2
i3c: mipi-i3c-hci: Fix missing STAT_IBI_STATUS_THLD in PIO mode
i3c: dw: rename "pclk" to "apb" to match dt-binding
i3c: dw: make struct dw_i3c_cmd smaller
i3c: dw: use COMMAND_PORT_TRANSFER_ARG instead of hardcoding
i3c: renesas: Don't register devices when ENTDAA times out
i3c: master: dw-i3c-master: fix OD timing for first broadcast
i3c: mipi-i3c-hci: Advertise IBI wakeup capability
i3c: mipi-i3c-hci: Factor out i3c_hci_sysdev()
i3c: mipi-i3c-hci-pci: Propagate I3C wakeup requirements to PCI
i3c: master: Reject IBI requests from non-IBI-capable devices
i3c: master: Add helper to query bus wakeup requirements
i3c: master: Report wakeup events for IBIs
i3c: master: Support IBI-based wakeup capability
i3c: master: Fix potential UAF in i3c_device_match()
i3c: master: Fix potential UAF in i3c_device_uevent()
i3c: Make dev->desc locking assumptions explicit
i3c: master: Fix use-after-free of master->this
...
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst | 153 |
1 files changed, 153 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..9ce6101e8 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/blockdev/ramdisk.rst @@ -0,0 +1,153 @@ +========================================== +Using the RAM disk block device with Linux +========================================== + +.. Contents: + + 1) Overview + 2) Kernel Command Line Parameters + 3) Using "rdev" + 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" +--------------- + +"rdev" is an obsolete, deprecated, antiquated utility that could be used +to set the boot device in a Linux kernel image. + +Instead of using rdev, just place the boot device information on the +kernel command line and pass it to the kernel from the bootloader. + +You can also pass arguments to the kernel by setting FDARGS in +arch/x86/boot/Makefile and specify in initrd image by setting FDINITRD in +arch/x86/boot/Makefile. + +Some of the kernel command line boot options that may apply here are:: + + ramdisk_start=N + ramdisk_size=M + +If you make a boot disk that has LILO, then for the above, you would use:: + + append = "ramdisk_start=N ramdisk_size=M" + +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) Make sure that you have already specified the boot information in + FDARGS and FDINITRD or that you use a bootloader to pass kernel + command line boot options to the kernel. + +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: +---------- + +SEPT-2020 : + + Removed usage of "rdev" + +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 |
