---
name: "mksidisk"
section: "1p"
platform: "linux"
package: "systeminstaller"
version: "1.04-3"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mksidisk"
---

# mksidisk(1p)

mksidisk - command shell to Add or List SystemInstaller Partition Information

```
  mksidisk --List --name image1
  mksidisk -Add --name image1 --file partion1
```

The mksidisk command is used to add or list the partition information for a images defined by SystemInstaller.\
 **Syntax** mksidisk \[ *operation* \] \[ *options* \]\
 **Operations** Recognized operations include: Add or update partition information using supplied options (**--name**, **--type** and **stdin**, or **partition file** are required). The new partition information will replace the existing partition information stored in the image. List partition information for image (**--name** is required).\
 **Options** Recognized options include: Name of the image. Type of disk drive, valid choices are **scsi** ⎪ **ide**. This option is used to override the disk type for **ALL** disks  in the input. A file that contains the partition information.

Sample file:\
   \#These are optional, global parameters\
   \# units=MB # this is the default, megabytes\
   \# units=%  # Sizes are percent of disk\
   \# label\_type=msdos # this is the default\
   \# label\_type=gpt   # For Itanium\
   \#Device      size   fs\_type mount  options\
   /dev/sda1   30      ext2   /boot   defaults bootable\
   /dev/sda5   30      swap \
   /dev/sda6   4000    ext2   /       defaults\
   \#\
   \# You can also include nfs mounts like this\
   fileserver:/home -  nfs    /home   rw\
   \#\
   \# And mix disk types also, but don't use the --type\
   \# flag on mksidisk or it will change them all!\
   \# An "\*" in the size column indicated that the \
   \# partition should fill the remainder of the disk.\
   /dev/sda1   \*    ext2   /opt    defaults\
   \#\
   \# There are defaults for /proc,/dev/pts & \
   \# /mnt/floppy,\
   \# but if you want to change them, just add lines \
   \# here.\
   \# The values here are the defaults.\
   \#/dev/fd0   -       auto   /mnt/floppy noauto,owner\
   \#/proc      -       proc   /proc   defaults\
   \#/dev/pts   -       devpts /dev/pts mode=622

Make sure there is only 1 filesystem marked as *bootable* and that there is something in the size column even if its not a local partition, '-' is used in the above example. Accept the partition information from STDIN. The format is the same as the partition file above. Print output in a colon-delimited format for parsing. Only valid with the --List option. Note that the ":" in the specification of an nfs remote mount point will be replaced with a "#".

```
  When the drive type, --type, is specified along with a partition
  file, the drive type will override the drive types for B<ALL> drives
  in the partition input.
```

```
  When running on an image that was created via the B<getimage> command,
  the default boot kernel may be changed. Be sure to verify the settings
  in the images B<etc/systemconfig/systemconfig.conf> file before using
  the image.
```

Stacy Woods, spwoods@us.ibm.com, Michael Chase-Salerno, mchasal@users.sf.net *mksiimage*(1).