22.5. Kickstart commands for handling storage

--only-use=driveN,…​ - Specifies a list of disks for the installation program to use. All other disks are ignored. For example, to use disk sda during installation and ignore all other disks:

ignoredisk --only-use=sda

To include a multipath device that does not use LVM:

ignoredisk --only-use=disk/by-id/dm-uuid-mpath-2416CD96995134CA5D787F00A5AA11017

To include a multipath device that uses LVM:

ignoredisk --only-use=disk/by-id/scsi-58095BEC5510947BE8C0360F604351918

You must specify only one of the --drives or --only-use.

The sdX (or /dev/sdX) format does not guarantee consistent device names across reboots, which can complicate the usage of some Kickstart commands. When a command requires a device node name, you can use any item from /dev/disk as an alternative. For example, instead of using the following device name:

ignoredisk --only-use=sda

You can use an entry similar to one of the following:

ignoredisk --only-use=/dev/disk/by-path/pci-0000:00:05.0-scsi-0:0:0:0
ignoredisk --only-use=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3160815AS_6RA0C882

By using this approach, the command always targets the same storage device. This is especially useful in large storage environments. To explore the available device names on the system, you can use the ls -lR /dev/disk command during the interactive installation. For more information about different ways to consistently refer to storage devices, see Persistent naming attributes.

--drives= - Specifies which drives to clear partitions from. For example, the following clears all the partitions on the first two drives on the primary IDE controller:

clearpart --drives=hda,hdb --all

To clear a multipath device, use the format disk/by-id/scsi-WWID, where WWID is the world-wide identifier for the device. For example, to clear a disk with WWID 58095BEC5510947BE8C0360F604351918, use:

clearpart --drives=disk/by-id/scsi-58095BEC5510947BE8C0360F604351918

This format is preferable for all multipath devices, but if errors arise, multipath devices that do not use logical volume manager (LVM) can also be cleared using the format disk/by-id/dm-uuid-mpath-WWID, where WWID is the world-wide identifier for the device. For example, to clear a disk with WWID 2416CD96995134CA5D787F00A5AA11017, use:

clearpart --drives=disk/by-id/dm-uuid-mpath-2416CD96995134CA5D787F00A5AA11017

Never specify multipath devices by device names like mpatha. Device names such as this are not specific to a particular disk. The disk named /dev/mpatha during installation might not be the one that you expect it to be. Therefore, the clearpart command could target the wrong disk.

--initlabel - Initializes a disk (or disks) by creating a default disk label for all disks in their respective architecture that have been designated for formatting (for example, gpt for x86). Because --initlabel can see all disks, it is important to ensure only those drives that are to be formatted are connected. Disks cleared by clearpart will have the label created even in case the --initlabel is not used.

clearpart --initlabel --drives=names_of_disks

For example:

clearpart --initlabel --drives=dasda,dasdb,dasdc

--list= - Specifies which partitions to clear. This option overrides the --all and --linux options if used. Can be used across different drives. For example:

clearpart --list=sda2,sda3,sdb1

On the x86_64 systems running in Legacy BIOS mode, the GPT disklabel is the default. To ensure these systems can boot properly with GPT, add a dedicated BIOS boot partition. For automated installations, consider using the reqpart kickstart command to create this BIOS boot partition when required automatically. Optionally, use the part kickstart command, for example: part biosboot --size=1. If you prefer to stick with the older MBR partitioning scheme instead of GPT, you have two options:

To specify a multipath device, use the format disk/by-id/scsi-WWID, where WWID is the world-wide identifier for the device. For example, to specify a disk with WWID 58095BEC5510947BE8C0360F604351918, use:

ignoredisk --only-use=disk/by-id/scsi-58095BEC5510947BE8C0360F604351918

This format is preferable for all multipath devices, but if errors arise, multipath devices that do not use logical volume manager (LVM) can also be specified by using the format disk/by-id/dm-uuid-mpath-WWID, where WWID is the world-wide identifier for the device. For example, to specify a disk with WWID 2416CD96995134CA5D787F00A5AA11017, use:

ignoredisk --only-use=disk/by-id/dm-uuid-mpath-2416CD96995134CA5D787F00A5AA11017

Never specify multipath devices by device names like mpatha. Device names such as this are not specific to a particular disk. The disk named /dev/mpatha during installation might not be the one that you expect it to be. Therefore, the ignoredisk command could target the wrong disk.

The sdX (or /dev/sdX) format does not guarantee consistent device names across reboots, which can complicate the usage of some Kickstart commands. When a command requires a device node name, you can use any item from /dev/disk as an alternative. For example, instead of using the following device name:

clearpart --drives=sda

You can use an entry similar to one of the following:

clearpart --drives=/dev/disk/by-path/pci-0000:00:05.0-scsi-0:0:0:0
clearpart --drives=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3160815AS_6RA0C882

By using this approach, the command always targets the same storage device. This is especially useful in large storage environments. To explore the available device names on the system, you can use the ls -lR /dev/disk command during the interactive installation. For more information about different ways to consistently refer to storage devices, see Persistent naming attributes.

--boot-drive= - Specifies which drive the boot loader should be written to, and therefore which drive the computer will boot from. If you use a multipath device as the boot drive, specify the device by using its disk/by-id/dm-uuid-mpath-WWID name.

--driveorder= - Specifies which drive is first in the BIOS boot order. For example:

bootloader --driveorder=sda,hda

--location= - Specifies where the boot record is written. Valid values are the following:

In most cases, this option does not need to be specified.

--password= - If using GRUB2, set the boot loader password to the one specified with this option. This should be used to restrict access to the GRUB2 shell, where arbitrary kernel options can be passed.

If a password is specified, GRUB2 also asks for a user name. The user name is always root.

--iscrypted - Normally, when you specify a boot loader password by using the --password= option, it is stored in the Kickstart file in plain text. If you want to encrypt the password, use this option and an encrypted password.

To generate an encrypted password, use the grub2-mkpasswd-pbkdf2 command, enter the password you want to use, and copy the command’s output (the hash starting with grub.pbkdf2) into the Kickstart file. An example bootloader Kickstart entry with an encrypted password looks similar to the following:

bootloader --iscrypted --password=grub.pbkdf2.sha512.10000.5520C6C9832F3AC3D149AC0B24BE69E2D4FB0DBEEDBD29CA1D30A044DE2645C4C7A291E585D4DC43F8A4D82479F8B95CA4BA4381F8550510B75E8E0BB2938990.C688B6F0EF935701FF9BD1A8EC7FE5BD2333799C98F28420C5CC8F1A2A233DE22C83705BB614EA17F3FDFDF4AC2161CEA3384E56EB38A2E39102F5334C47405E

The sdX (or /dev/sdX) format does not guarantee consistent device names across reboots, which can complicate the usage of some Kickstart commands. When a command requires a device node name, you can use any item from /dev/disk as an alternative. For example, instead of using the following device name:

bootloader --boot-drive=sda

You can use an entry similar to one of the following:

bootloader --boot-drive=/dev/disk/by-path/pci-0000:00:05.0-scsi-0:0:0:0
bootloader --boot-drive=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3160815AS_6RA0C882

By using this approach, the command always targets the same storage device. This is especially useful in large storage environments. To explore the available device names on the system, you can use the ls -lR /dev/disk command during the interactive installation. For more information about different ways to consistently refer to storage devices, see Persistent naming attributes.

--type= - Selects one of the predefined automatic partitioning schemes you want to use. Accepts the following values:

--encrypted - Encrypts all partitions with Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS). This is equivalent to checking the Encrypt partitions check box on the initial partitioning screen during a manual graphical installation.

mntpoint - Where the partition is mounted. The value must be of one of the following forms:

--onpart= or --usepart= - Specifies the device on which to place the partition. Uses an existing blank device and formats it to the new specified type. For example:

partition /home --onpart=hda1

puts /home on /dev/hda1.

These options can also add a partition to a logical volume. For example:

partition pv.1 --onpart=hda2

The device must already exist on the system; the --onpart option will not create it.

It is also possible to specify an entire drive, rather than a partition, in which case Anaconda will format and use the drive without creating a partition table. However, installation of GRUB2 is not supported on a device formatted in this way, and must be placed on a drive with a partition table.

partition pv.1 --onpart=hdb

--ondisk= or --ondrive= - Creates a partition (specified by the part command) on an existing disk.This command always creates a partition. Forces the partition to be created on a particular disk. For example, --ondisk=sdb puts the partition on the second SCSI disk on the system.

part / --size=5000 --ondisk=disk/by-id/scsi-58095BEC5510947BE8C0360F604351918

This format is preferable for all multipath devices, but if errors arise, multipath devices that do not use logical volume manager (LVM) can also be specified by using the format disk/by-id/dm-uuid-mpath-WWID, where WWID is the world-wide identifier for the device. For example, to specify a disk with WWID 2416CD96995134CA5D787F00A5AA11017, use:

part / --size=5000 --ondisk=disk/by-id/dm-uuid-mpath-2416CD96995134CA5D787F00A5AA11017

Never specify multipath devices by device names like mpatha. Device names such as this are not specific to a particular disk. The disk named /dev/mpatha during installation might not be the one that you expect it to be. Therefore, the part command could target the wrong disk.

--mkfsoptions= - Specifies additional parameters to be passed to the program that makes a filesystem on this partition. This is similar to --fsprofile but works for all filesystems, not just the ones that support the profile concept. No processing is done on the list of arguments, so they must be supplied in a format that can be passed directly to the mkfs program. This means multiple options should be comma-separated or surrounded by double quotes, depending on the filesystem. For example,

part /opt/foo1 --size=512 --fstype=ext4 --mkfsoptions="-O ^has_journal,^flex_bg,^metadata_csum"

part /opt/foo2 --size=512 --fstype=xfs --mkfsoptions="-m bigtime=0,finobt=0"

For details, see the man pages of the filesystems you are creating. For example, mkfs.ext4 or mkfs.xfs.

--fsoptions - Specifies a free form string of options to be used when mounting the filesystem. This string will be copied into the /etc/fstab file of the installed system and should be enclosed in quotes.

--encrypted - Specifies that this partition should be encrypted with Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) by using the passphrase provided in the --passphrase option. If you do not specify a passphrase, Anaconda uses the default, system-wide passphrase set with the autopart --passphrase command, or stops the installation and prompts you to provide a passphrase if no default is set.

The sdX (or /dev/sdX) format does not guarantee consistent device names across reboots, which can complicate the usage of some Kickstart commands. When a command requires a device node name, you can use any item from /dev/disk as an alternative. For example, instead of using the following device name:

part / --fstype=xfs --onpart=sda1

You can use an entry similar to one of the following:

part / --fstype=xfs --onpart=/dev/disk/by-path/pci-0000:00:05.0-scsi-0:0:0:0-part1
part / --fstype=xfs --onpart=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3160815AS_6RA0C882-part1

By using this approach, the command always targets the same storage device. This is especially useful in large storage environments. To explore the available device names on the system, you can use the ls -lR /dev/disk command during the interactive installation. For more information about different ways to consistently refer to storage devices, see Persistent naming attributes.

--device= - Name of the RAID device to use - for example, --device=root.

--mkfsoptions= - Specifies additional parameters to be passed to the program that makes a filesystem on this partition. No processing is done on the list of arguments, so they must be supplied in a format that can be passed directly to the mkfs program. This means multiple options should be comma-separated or surrounded by double quotes, depending on the filesystem. For example,

part /opt/foo1 --size=512 --fstype=ext4 --mkfsoptions="-O ^has_journal,^flex_bg,^metadata_csum"

part /opt/foo2 --size=512 --fstype=xfs --mkfsoptions="-m bigtime=0,finobt=0"

For details, see the man pages of the filesystems you are creating. For example, mkfs.ext4 or mkfs.xfs.

--encrypted - Specifies that this RAID device should be encrypted with Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) by using the passphrase provided in the --passphrase option. If you do not specify a passphrase, Anaconda uses the default, system-wide passphrase set with the autopart --passphrase command, or stops the installation and prompts you to provide a passphrase if no default is set.

--useexisting - Use an existing volume group and reformat it. If you use this option, do not specify a partition. For example:

volgroup rhel00 --useexisting --noformat

Do not use the dash (-) character in logical volume and volume group names when installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux by using Kickstart. If this character is used, the installation finishes normally, but the /dev/mapper/ directory will list these volumes and volume groups with every dash doubled. For example, a volume group named volgrp-01 containing a logical volume named logvol-01 will be listed as /dev/mapper/volgrp--01-logvol--01.

This limitation only applies to newly created logical volume and volume group names. If you are reusing existing ones by using the --noformat option, their names will not be changed.

mntpoint: The mount point where the partition is mounted. Must be of one of the following forms:

--fsoptions=: Specifies a free form string of options to be used when mounting the filesystem. This string will be copied into the /etc/fstab file of the installed system and should be enclosed in quotes.

--mkfsoptions=: Specifies additional parameters to be passed to the program that makes a filesystem on this partition. No processing is done on the list of arguments, so they must be supplied in a format that can be passed directly to the mkfs program. This means multiple options should be comma-separated or surrounded by double quotes, depending on the filesystem. For example,

part /opt/foo1 --size=512 --fstype=ext4 --mkfsoptions="-O ^has_journal,^flex_bg,^metadata_csum"

part /opt/foo2 --size=512 --fstype=xfs --mkfsoptions="-m bigtime=0,finobt=0"

For details, see the man pages of the filesystems you are creating. For example, mkfs.ext4 or mkfs.xfs.

--percent=: The size of the logical volume, as a percentage of the free space in the volume group after any statically-sized logical volumes are taken into account. This option cannot be used together with the --size= option.

--encrypted: Specifies that this logical volume should be encrypted with Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) by using the passphrase provided in the --passphrase= option. If you do not specify a passphrase, the installation program stops the installation and prompts you to provide a passphrase if no default is set.

--cachemode=: Specify which mode should be used to cache this logical volume - either writeback or writethrough.

Create the partition first, create the volume group, and then create the logical volume to occupy 90% of the remaining space in the volume group:

part pv.01 --size 1 --grow
volgroup myvg pv.01
logvol / --vgname=myvg --name=rootvol --percent=90