Systemd/man/systemd-fstab-generator.xml
Lennart Poettering 91214a37ef fstab-generator: add support for volatile boots
This adds support for a new kernel command line option "systemd.volatile=" that
provides the same functionality that systemd-nspawn's --volatile= switch
provides, but for host systems (i.e. systems booting with a kernel).

It takes the same parameter and has the same effect.

In order to implement systemd.volatile=yes a new service
systemd-volatile-root.service is introduced that only runs in the initrd and
rearranges the root directory as needed to become a tmpfs instance. Note that
systemd.volatile=state is implemented different: it simply generates a
var.mount unit file that is part of the normal boot and has no effect on the
initrd execution.

The way this is implemented ensures that other explicit configuration for /var
can always override the effect of these options.  Specifically, the var.mount
unit is generated in the "late" generator directory, so that it only is in
effect if nothing else overrides it.
2016-12-21 19:09:29 +01:00

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<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!--*-nxml-*-->
<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.2//EN" "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbookx.dtd">
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<refentry id="systemd-fstab-generator">
<refentryinfo>
<title>systemd-fstab-generator</title>
<productname>systemd</productname>
<authorgroup>
<author>
<contrib>Developer</contrib>
<firstname>Lennart</firstname>
<surname>Poettering</surname>
<email>lennart@poettering.net</email>
</author>
</authorgroup>
</refentryinfo>
<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>systemd-fstab-generator</refentrytitle>
<manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
<refname>systemd-fstab-generator</refname>
<refpurpose>Unit generator for /etc/fstab</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>
<refsynopsisdiv>
<para><filename>/usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/systemd-fstab-generator</filename></para>
</refsynopsisdiv>
<refsect1>
<title>Description</title>
<para><filename>systemd-fstab-generator</filename> is a generator
that translates <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> (see
<citerefentry project='man-pages'><refentrytitle>fstab</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>
for details) into native systemd units early at boot and when
configuration of the system manager is reloaded. This will
instantiate mount and swap units as necessary.</para>
<para>The <varname>passno</varname> field is treated like a simple
boolean, and the ordering information is discarded. However, if
the root file system is checked, it is checked before all the
other file systems.</para>
<para>See
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.mount</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>
and
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.swap</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>
for more information about special <filename>/etc/fstab</filename>
mount options this generator understands.</para>
<para><filename>systemd-fstab-generator</filename> implements
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.generator</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>.</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Kernel Command Line</title>
<para><filename>systemd-fstab-generator</filename> understands the
following kernel command line parameters:</para>
<variablelist class='kernel-commandline-options'>
<varlistentry>
<term><varname>fstab=</varname></term>
<term><varname>rd.fstab=</varname></term>
<listitem><para>Takes a boolean argument. Defaults to
<literal>yes</literal>. If <literal>no</literal>, causes the
generator to ignore any mounts or swap devices configured in
<filename>/etc/fstab</filename>. <varname>rd.fstab=</varname>
is honored only by the initial RAM disk (initrd) while
<varname>fstab=</varname> is honored by both the main system
and the initrd.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><varname>root=</varname></term>
<listitem><para>Takes the root filesystem to mount in the
initrd. <varname>root=</varname> is honored by the
initrd.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><varname>rootfstype=</varname></term>
<listitem><para>Takes the root filesystem type that will be
passed to the mount command. <varname>rootfstype=</varname> is
honored by the initrd.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><varname>rootflags=</varname></term>
<listitem><para>Takes the root filesystem mount options to
use. <varname>rootflags=</varname> is honored by the
initrd.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><varname>mount.usr=</varname></term>
<listitem><para>Takes the <filename>/usr</filename> filesystem
to be mounted by the initrd. If
<varname>mount.usrfstype=</varname> or
<varname>mount.usrflags=</varname> is set, then
<varname>mount.usr=</varname> will default to the value set in
<varname>root=</varname>.</para>
<para>Otherwise, this parameter defaults to the
<filename>/usr</filename> entry found in
<filename>/etc/fstab</filename> on the root filesystem.</para>
<para><varname>mount.usr=</varname> is honored by the initrd.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><varname>mount.usrfstype=</varname></term>
<listitem><para>Takes the <filename>/usr</filename> filesystem
type that will be passed to the mount command. If
<varname>mount.usr=</varname> or
<varname>mount.usrflags=</varname> is set, then
<varname>mount.usrfstype=</varname> will default to the value
set in <varname>rootfstype=</varname>.</para>
<para>Otherwise, this value will be read from the
<filename>/usr</filename> entry in
<filename>/etc/fstab</filename> on the root filesystem.</para>
<para><varname>mount.usrfstype=</varname> is honored by the
initrd.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><varname>mount.usrflags=</varname></term>
<listitem><para>Takes the <filename>/usr</filename> filesystem
mount options to use. If <varname>mount.usr=</varname> or
<varname>mount.usrfstype=</varname> is set, then
<varname>mount.usrflags=</varname> will default to the value
set in <varname>rootflags=</varname>.</para>
<para>Otherwise, this value will be read from the
<filename>/usr</filename> entry in
<filename>/etc/fstab</filename> on the root filesystem.</para>
<para><varname>mount.usrflags=</varname> is honored by the
initrd.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><varname>systemd.volatile=</varname></term>
<listitem><para>Controls whether the system shall boot up in volatile mode. Takes a boolean argument or the
special value <option>state</option>.</para>
<para>If false (the default), this generator makes no changes to the mount tree and the system is booted up in
normal mode.</para>
<para>If true the generator ensures
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-volatile-root.service</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry>
is run as part of the initial RAM disk ("initrd"). This service changes the mount table before transitioning to
the host system, so that a volatile memory file system (<literal>tmpfs</literal>) is used as root directory,
with only <filename>/usr</filename> mounted into it from the configured root file system, in read-only
mode. This way the system operates in fully stateless mode, with all configuration and state reset at boot and
lost at shutdown, as <filename>/etc</filename> and <filename>/var</filename> will be served from the (initially
unpopulated) volatile memory file system.</para>
<para>If set to <option>state</option> the generator will leave the root
directory mount point unaltered, however will mount a <literal>tmpfs</literal> file system to
<filename>/var</filename>. In this mode the normal system configuration (i.e the contents of
<literal>/etc</literal>) is in effect (and may be modified during system runtime), however the system state
(i.e. the contents of <literal>/var</literal>) is reset at boot and lost at shutdown.</para>
<para>Note that in none of these modes the root directory, <filename>/etc</filename>, <filename>/var</filename>
or any other resources stored in the root file system are physically removed. It's thus safe to boot a system
that is normally operated in non-volatile mode temporarily into volatile mode, without losing data.</para>
<para>Note that enabling this setting will only work correctly on operating systems that can boot up with only
<filename>/usr</filename> mounted, and are able to automatically populate <filename>/etc</filename>, and also
<filename>/var</filename> in case of <literal>systemd.volatile=yes</literal>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>See Also</title>
<para>
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
<citerefentry project='man-pages'><refentrytitle>fstab</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.mount</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.swap</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-cryptsetup-generator</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>kernel-command-line</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>
</para>
</refsect1>
</refentry>