---
name: "blkdeactivate"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "device-mapper"
version: "2.03.44-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/blkdeactivate"
---

# blkdeactivate(8)

Utility to deactivate block devices

## NAME

blkdeactivate — Utility to deactivate block devices

## SYNOPSIS

- **blkdeactivate**

  \[**-d**\|**--dmoptions**  *dm\_options*\] \[**-e**\|**--errors**\] \[**-h**\|**--help**\] \[**-l**\|**--lvmoptions**  *lvm\_options*\] \[**-r**\|**--mdraidoptions**  *mdraid\_options*\] \[**-m**\|**--mpathoptions**  *mpath\_options*\] \[**-u**\|**--umount**\] \[**-o**\|**--vdooptions**  *vdo\_options*\] \[**-v**\|**--verbose**\] \[*device*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The blkdeactivate utility deactivates block devices. For mounted block devices, it attempts to unmount them automatically before trying to deactivate. The utility currently supports device-mapper devices (DM), including LVM volumes and software RAID MD devices. LVM volumes are handled directly using the [**lvm**(8)](/lvm/8.md) command, the rest of device-mapper based devices are handled using the [**dmsetup**(8)](/dmsetup/8.md) command. MD devices are handled using the [**mdadm**(8)](/mdadm/8.md) command.

## OPTIONS

- **-d**\|**--dmoptions** *dm\_options*

  Comma separated list of device-mapper specific options.\
   Accepted [**dmsetup**(8)](/dmsetup/8.md) options are:

  - **retry**

    Retry removal several times in case of failure.

  - **force**

    Force device removal.

- **-e**\|**--errors**

  Show errors reported from tools called by **blkdeactivate**. Without this option, any error messages from these external tools are suppressed and the **blkdeactivate** itself provides only a summary message to indicate the device was skipped.

- **-h**\|**--help**

  Display the help text.

- **-l**\|**--lvmoptions** *lvm\_options*

  Comma-separated list of LVM specific options:

  - **retry**

    Retry removal several times in case of failure.

  - **wholevg**

    Deactivate the whole LVM Volume Group when processing a Logical Volume. Deactivating the Volume Group as a whole is quicker than deactivating each Logical Volume separately.

- **-r**\|**--mdraidoptions** *mdraid\_options*

  Comma-separated list of MD RAID specific options:

  - **wait**

    Wait for MD device's resync, recovery or reshape action to complete before deactivation.

- **-m**\|**--mpathoptions** *mpath\_options*

  Comma-separated list of device-mapper multipath specific options:

  - **disablequeueing**

    Disable queueing on all multipath devices before deactivation. This avoids a situation where blkdeactivate may end up waiting if all the paths are unavailable for any underlying device-mapper multipath device.

- **-u**\|**--umount**

  Unmount a mounted device before trying to deactivate it. Without this option, a device that is mounted is not deactivated.

- **-o**\|**--vdooptions** *vdo\_options*

  Comma-separated list of VDO specific options:

  - **configfile**=*file*

    Use specified VDO configuration file.

- **-v**\|**--verbose**

  Run in verbose mode. Use **-vv** for even more verbose mode.

## EXAMPLES

Deactivate all supported block devices found in the system, skipping mounted devices.\
 **blkdeactivate**

Deactivate all supported block devices found in the system, unmounting any mounted devices first, if possible.\
 **blkdeactivate -u**

Deactivate the device /dev/vg/lvol0 together with all its holders, unmounting any mounted devices first, if possible.\
 **blkdeactivate -u /dev/vg/lvol0**

Deactivate all supported block devices found in the system. If the deactivation of a device-mapper device fails, retry it. Deactivate the whole Volume Group at once when processing an LVM Logical Volume.\
 **blkdeactivate -u -d retry -l wholevg**

Deactivate all supported block devices found in the system. If the deactivation of a device-mapper device fails, retry it and force removal.\
 **blkdeactivate -d force,retry**

## SEE ALSO

[**lvm**(8)](/lvm/8.md),

[**dmsetup**(8)](/dmsetup/8.md),

[**lsblk**(8)](/lsblk/8.md), [**mdadm**(8)](/mdadm/8.md), [**multipathd**(8)](/multipathd/8.md), **vdo**(8), [**umount**(8)](/umount/8.md)