mindi - a tool for creating boot/root disks

mindi

mindi -v| --version| -V| -version

mindi --findkernel

mindi --makemountlist file

mindi [--max-compressed-size max] --custom parameters

mindi creates a set of boot/root floppy disk images and/or a bootable ISO image using files from the system it runs on. mindi will try hard to reproduce the environment of its host system including loaded modules to ensure that the system can be booted properly from the created rescue media. mindi is used by monodarchive(8) to produce the required boot/root floppy or CD images but can also be used stand-alone.

For stand-alone usage, mindi is called without any parameters or switches. It will then interactively ask the user for all information required to create a set of boot/root media.

The probably more frequent way of calling mindi is non-interactively from mondoarchive(8) using the --custom switch. All required information is then provided via command line parameters. The sequence of these parameters is listed below.

-v| --version| -V| -version

Prints the version of mindi.

--findkernel

Finds the image of the running kernel in the file system.

--makemountlist file

Creates a mount list and writes it to file file".

--max-compressed-size max

Maximum size for disk image in KB.

--custom parameters

Provide all required parameters to mindi for non-interactive calling. This usually means a call from mondoarchive(8). The following parameters are used:

01) directory to use for temporary files

02) directory to put disk images in

03) path to kernel image

04) tape device

05) tape size [MB]

06) total number of files in file list

07) use LZO [yes|no]

08) CD recovery media [yes|no]

09) devices to include

10) conservative LiLo settings [yes|no]

11) number of last file list

12) estimated total number of slices

13) devices to exclude

14) compare mode [yes|no]

15) use lilo [yes|no]

16) use star (rather than tar) [yes|no]

17) internal tape block size [bytes]

18) number of diffenrential backup

19) make non-bootable [yes|no]

(Blank parameters must be specified as "" on the command line.)

mindi writes some output to the console and extensive information to log file /var/log/mindi.log". When seeking technical support for mindi, please attach this file to your email.

/var/log/mindi.log

Log file of mindi run. Contains important information to analyze mindi problem reports.

/etc/mindi/deplist.txt

List of files to be included on boot/root disks.

/root/images/mindi/N.tar.gz

Number N of multiple tar balls together containing root file system for rescue media.

/root/images/mindi/all.tar.gz

Single tar ball of root file system for rescue media.

/root/images/mindi/initrd.img

initrd image for bootable ISO image.

/root/images/mindi/mindi-boot.F.img

mindi boot floppy of size F [KB].

/root/images/mindi/mindi-root.F.img

mindi root floppy of size F [KB].

/root/images/mindi/mindi-data.N.img

mindi data floppy number N for boot/root floppies.

/root/images/mindi/mindi.iso

mindi bootable ISO image.

mondoarchive(8), mondorestore(8).

See mailing list at http://www.mondorescue.org for technical support.

The target location for the image files created by mindi is hard-coded to /root/images/mindi. As a workaround, it is suggested to make /root/images a symbolic link to the desired location for the image files.

Hugo Rabson (coding) hugo.rabson@mondorescue.org

Jesse Keating (packaging) hosting@j2solutions.net

Stan Benoit (testing) troff@nakedsoul.org

Mikael Hultgren (docs) mikael_hultgren@gmx.net

Bruno Cornec (coding) bruno.cornec@hp.com