source: chapter06/util-linux.xml@ df8334f

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<sect1 id="ch-system-util-linux" xreflabel="Util-linux" role="wrap">
<title>Util-linux-&util-linux-version;</title>
<?dbhtml filename="util-linux.html"?>

<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux"><primary sortas="a-Util-linux">Util-linux</primary></indexterm>

<sect2 role="package"><title/>
<para>The Util-linux package contains miscellaneous utility programs. Among
them are utilities for handling file systems, consoles, partitions, and
messages.</para>

<segmentedlist>
<segtitle>&buildtime;</segtitle>
<segtitle>&diskspace;</segtitle>
<seglistitem><seg>0.2 SBU</seg><seg>16 MB</seg></seglistitem>
</segmentedlist>

<segmentedlist>
<segtitle>Util-linux installation depends on</segtitle>
<seglistitem><seg>Bash, Binutils, Coreutils,
Diffutils, GCC, Gettext, Glibc, Grep, Make, Ncurses, Sed, Zlib</seg></seglistitem>
</segmentedlist>
</sect2>

<sect2 role="installation">
<title>FHS compliance notes</title>

<para>The FHS recommends that we use <filename>/var/lib/hwclock</filename>,
instead of the usual <filename>/etc</filename>, as the location for the
<filename>adjtime</filename> file. To make the <command>hwclock</command>
program FHS-compliant, run the following:</para>

<screen><userinput>cp hwclock/hwclock.c{,.backup}
sed 's%etc/adjtime%var/lib/hwclock/adjtime%' \
    hwclock/hwclock.c.backup &gt; hwclock/hwclock.c
mkdir -p /var/lib/hwclock</userinput></screen>

</sect2>

<sect2 role="installation">
<title>Installation of Util-linux</title>

<para>Util-linux has issues with the Linux 2.6 kernel series - fix these isues
by applying the following patch:</para>

<screen><userinput>patch -Np1 -i ../util-linux-&util-linux-version;-kernel-headers-1.patch</userinput></screen>

<para>Prepare Util-linux for compilation:</para>

<screen><userinput>./configure</userinput></screen>

<para>Compile the package:</para>

<screen><userinput>make HAVE_KILL=yes HAVE_SLN=yes</userinput></screen>

<para>The meaning of the make parameters:</para>

<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><userinput>HAVE_KILL=yes</userinput></term>
<listitem><para>This prevents the
<command>kill</command> program (already installed by Procps) from being
built and installed again.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term><userinput>HAVE_SLN=yes</userinput></term>
<listitem><para>This prevents the
<command>sln</command> program (a statically linked
<command>ln</command> already installed by Glibc) from being built and
installed again.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>

<para>Now install the package:</para>

<screen><userinput>make HAVE_KILL=yes HAVE_SLN=yes install</userinput></screen>

</sect2>


<sect2 id="contents-utillinux" role="content"><title>Contents of Util-linux</title>

<segmentedlist>
<segtitle>Installed programs</segtitle>
<seglistitem><seg>agetty, arch, blockdev, cal, cfdisk, chkdupexe, col, colcrt, 
colrm, column, ctrlaltdel, cytune, ddate, dmesg, elvtune, fdformat, fdisk, 
fsck.cramfs, fsck.minix, getopt, hexdump, hwclock, ipcrm, ipcs, isosize, line, 
logger, look, losetup, mcookie, mkfs, mkfs.bfs, mkfs.cramfs, mkfs.minix, mkswap, 
more, mount, namei, pg, pivot_root, ramsize (link to rdev), raw, rdev, readprofile, 
rename, renice, rev, rootflags (link to rdev), script, setfdprm, setsid, setterm, 
sfdisk, swapoff (link to swapon), swapon, tunelp, ul, umount, vidmode (link to rdev), 
whereis and write</seg></seglistitem>
</segmentedlist>

<variablelist><title>Short descriptions</title>

<varlistentry>
<term id="agetty"><command>agetty</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux agetty"><primary sortas="b-agetty">agetty</primary></indexterm>
<para>opens a tty port, prompts for a login name,
and then invokes the login program.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="arch"><command>arch</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux arch"><primary sortas="b-arch">arch</primary></indexterm>
<para>reports the machine's architecture.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="blockdev"><command>blockdev</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux blockdev"><primary sortas="b-blockdev">blockdev</primary></indexterm>
<para>allows you to call block device ioctls from the command line.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="cal"><command>cal</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux cal"><primary sortas="b-cal">cal</primary></indexterm>
<para>displays a simple calendar.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="cfdisk"><command>cfdisk</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux cfdisk"><primary sortas="b-cfdisk">cfdisk</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to manipulate the partition table of the given device.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="chkdupexe"><command>chkdupexe</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux chkdupexe"><primary sortas="b-chkdupexe">chkdupexe</primary></indexterm>
<para>finds duplicate executables.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="col"><command>col</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux col"><primary sortas="b-col">col</primary></indexterm>
<para>filters out reverse line feeds.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="colcrt"><command>colcrt</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux colcrt"><primary sortas="b-colcrt">colcrt</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to filter nroff output for terminals
that lack some capabilities such as overstriking and half-lines.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="colrm"><command>colrm</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux colrm"><primary sortas="b-colrm">colrm</primary></indexterm>
<para>filters out the given columns.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="column"><command>column</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux column"><primary sortas="b-column">column</primary></indexterm>
<para>formats a given file into multiple columns.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="ctrlaltdel"><command>ctrlaltdel</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux ctrlaltdel"><primary sortas="b-ctrlaltdel">ctrlaltdel</primary></indexterm>
<para>sets the function of the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination to a hard or a 
soft reset.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="cytune"><command>cytune</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux cytune"><primary sortas="b-cytune">cytune</primary></indexterm>
<para>was used to tune the parameters of the
serial line drivers for Cyclades cards.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="ddate"><command>ddate</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux ddate"><primary sortas="b-ddate">ddate</primary></indexterm>
<para>gives the Discordian date, or converts the
given Gregorian date to a Discordian one.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="dmesg"><command>dmesg</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux dmesg"><primary sortas="b-dmesg">dmesg</primary></indexterm>
<para>dumps the kernel boot messages.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="elvtune"><command>elvtune</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux elvtune"><primary sortas="b-elvtune">elvtune</primary></indexterm>
<para>can be used to tune the performance
and interactivity of a block device.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="fdformat"><command>fdformat</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux fdformat"><primary sortas="b-fdformat">fdformat</primary></indexterm>
<para>low-level formats a floppy disk.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="fdisk"><command>fdisk</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux fdisk"><primary sortas="b-fdisk">fdisk</primary></indexterm>
<para>could be used to manipulate the partition table of the given device.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="fsck.cramfs"><command>fsck.cramfs</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux fsck.cramfs"><primary sortas="b-fsck.cramfs">fsck.cramfs</primary></indexterm>
<para>performs a consistency check on the
Cramfs file system on the given device.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="fsck.minix"><command>fsck.minix</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux fsck.minix"><primary sortas="b-fsck.minix">fsck.minix</primary></indexterm>
<para>performs a consistency check on the
Minix file system on the given device.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="getopt"><command>getopt</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux getopt"><primary sortas="b-getopt">getopt</primary></indexterm>
<para>parses options in the given command line.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="hexdump"><command>hexdump</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux hexdump"><primary sortas="b-hexdump">hexdump</primary></indexterm>
<para>dumps the given file in hexadecimal, or in another given format.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="hwclock"><command>hwclock</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux hwclock"><primary sortas="b-hwclock">hwclock</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to read or set the system's hardware clock, also called the RTC 
(Real-Time Clock) or BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) clock.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="ipcrm"><command>ipcrm</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux ipcrm"><primary sortas="b-ipcrm">ipcrm</primary></indexterm>
<para>removes the given IPC resource.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="ipcs"><command>ipcs</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux ipcs"><primary sortas="b-ipcs">ipcs</primary></indexterm>
<para>provides IPC status information.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="isosize"><command>isosize</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux isosize"><primary sortas="b-isosize">isosize</primary></indexterm>
<para>reports the size of an iso9660 file system.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="line"><command>line</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux line"><primary sortas="b-line">line</primary></indexterm>
<para>copies a single line.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="logger"><command>logger</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux logger"><primary sortas="b-logger">logger</primary></indexterm>
<para>enters the given message into the system log.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="look"><command>look</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux look"><primary sortas="b-look">look</primary></indexterm>
<para>displays lines that begin with the given string.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="losetup"><command>losetup</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux losetup"><primary sortas="b-losetup">losetup</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to set up and control loop devices.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="mcookie"><command>mcookie</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux mcookie"><primary sortas="b-mcookie">mcookie</primary></indexterm>
<para>generates magic cookies, 128-bit random hexadecimal numbers, 
for xauth.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="mkfs"><command>mkfs</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux mkfs"><primary sortas="b-mkfs">mkfs</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to build a file system on a device
(usually a hard disk partition).</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="mkfs.bfs"><command>mkfs.bfs</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux mkfs.bfs"><primary sortas="b-mkfs.bfs">mkfs.bfs</primary></indexterm>
<para>creates an SCO (Santa Cruz Operations) bfs file system.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="mkfs.cramfs"><command>mkfs.cramfs</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux mkfs.cramfs"><primary sortas="b-mkfs.cramfs">mkfs.cramfs</primary></indexterm>
<para>creates a cramfs file system.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="mkfs.minix"><command>mkfs.minix</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux mkfs.minix"><primary sortas="b-mkfs.minix">mkfs.minix</primary></indexterm>
<para>creates a Minix file system.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="mkswap"><command>mkswap</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux mkswap"><primary sortas="b-mkswap">mkswap</primary></indexterm>
<para>initializes the given device or file to be used as a swap area.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="more"><command>more</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux more"><primary sortas="b-more">more</primary></indexterm>
<para>is a filter for paging through text one
screen full at a time. But less is much better.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="mount"><command>mount</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux mount"><primary sortas="b-mount">mount</primary></indexterm>
<para>attaches the file system on the given device to a specified directory (thus 
hiding the contents of that directory) in the file-system tree.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="namei"><command>namei</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux namei"><primary sortas="b-namei">namei</primary></indexterm>
<para>shows the symbolic links in the given pathnames.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="pg"><command>pg</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux pg"><primary sortas="b-pg">pg</primary></indexterm>
<para>displays a text file one screen full at a time.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="pivot_root"><command>pivot_root</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux pivot_root"><primary sortas="b-pivot_root">pivot_root</primary></indexterm>
<para>makes the given file system the new
root file system of the current process.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="ramsize"><command>ramsize</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux ramsize"><primary sortas="b-ramsize">ramsize</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to set the size of the RAM disk in a bootable image.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="rdev"><command>rdev</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux rdev"><primary sortas="b-rdev">rdev</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to query and set the root
device and other things in a bootable image.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="readprofile"><command>readprofile</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux readprofile"><primary sortas="b-readprofile">readprofile</primary></indexterm>
<para>reads kernel profiling information.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="rename"><command>rename</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux rename"><primary sortas="b-rename">rename</primary></indexterm>
<para>renames the given files, replacing a given string with another.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="renice"><command>renice</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux renice"><primary sortas="b-renice">renice</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to alter the priority of running processes.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="rev"><command>rev</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux rev"><primary sortas="b-rev">rev</primary></indexterm>
<para>reverses the lines of a given file.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="rootflags"><command>rootflags</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux rootflags"><primary sortas="b-rootflags">rootflags</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to set the rootflags in a bootable image.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="script"><command>script</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux script"><primary sortas="b-script">script</primary></indexterm>
<para>makes a typescript of a terminal session, of everything printed to 
the terminal.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="setfdprm"><command>setfdprm</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux setfdprm"><primary sortas="b-setfdprm">setfdprm</primary></indexterm>
<para>sets user-provided floppy disk parameters.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="setsid"><command>setsid</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux setsid"><primary sortas="b-setsid">setsid</primary></indexterm>
<para>runs the given program in a new session.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="setterm"><command>setterm</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux setterm"><primary sortas="b-setterm">setterm</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to set terminal attributes.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="sfdisk"><command>sfdisk</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux sfdisk"><primary sortas="b-sfdisk">sfdisk</primary></indexterm>
<para>is a disk partition table manipulator.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="swapdev"><command>swapdev</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux swapdev"><primary sortas="b-swapdev">swapdev</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to set the swap device in a bootable image.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="swapoff"><command>swapoff</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux swapoff"><primary sortas="b-swapoff">swapoff</primary></indexterm>
<para>disables devices and files for paging and swapping.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="swapon"><command>swapon</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux swapon"><primary sortas="b-swapon">swapon</primary></indexterm>
<para>enables devices and files for paging and swapping.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="tunelp"><command>tunelp</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux tunelp"><primary sortas="b-tunelp">tunelp</primary></indexterm>
<para>is used to tune the parameters of the line printer.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="ul"><command>ul</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux ul"><primary sortas="b-ul">ul</primary></indexterm>
<para>is a filter for translating underscores into
escape sequences indicating underlining for the terminal in use.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="umount"><command>umount</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux umount"><primary sortas="b-umount">umount</primary></indexterm>
<para>disconnects a file system from the system's file tree.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="vidmode"><command>vidmode</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux vidmode"><primary sortas="b-vidmode">vidmode</primary></indexterm>
<para>could be used to set the video mode in a bootable image.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="whereis"><command>whereis</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux whereis"><primary sortas="b-whereis">whereis</primary></indexterm>
<para>reports the location of binary, the
source, and the manual page for the given command.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term id="write"><command>write</command></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm zone="ch-system-util-linux write"><primary sortas="b-write">write</primary></indexterm>
<para>sends a message to the given user,
<emphasis>if</emphasis> that user has not disabled such messages.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>

</sect2>

</sect1>