dmsetup
device-mapper low-level administration
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
dmsetup command [options] [devicename_]
DESCRIPTION
dmsetup is the low-level administration tool for the Linux device-mapper. Device-mapper provides a generic way to create virtual block devices that map onto physical devices through various target types.The tool can create, configure, and manage device-mapper devices including linear mappings, striped volumes, snapshots, mirrors, and more. It's the foundation underlying LVM, dm-crypt, and other Linux storage technologies.While typically used indirectly through LVM or cryptsetup, dmsetup provides direct access for debugging, custom configurations, or understanding device-mapper internals.
PARAMETERS
COMMAND
Operation: ls, status, info, table, create, remove, etc.ls
List device mapper devices.status [DEVICE]
Show device status.info [DEVICE]
Show detailed information.table [DEVICE]
Show device table.create NAME
Create new device.remove DEVICE
Remove device.suspend/resume DEVICE
Suspend/resume device.--table TABLE
Device table specification.
INSTALL
CAVEATS
Requires root privileges. Incorrect use can cause data loss. Tables must specify valid targets and parameters. Some operations require suspended devices.
HISTORY
dmsetup is part of the device-mapper component of LVM2, developed primarily by Red Hat and Sistina Software. Device-mapper was merged into the Linux kernel in 2003, providing the foundation for flexible storage management.
SEE ALSO
lvm(8), cryptsetup(8), dmraid(8)
