genfstab

/etc/fstab generator from mounted filesystems

TLDR

Generate /etc/fstab using volume UUIDs during Arch installation

$ genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

Display fstab-compatible output based on volume labels

$ genfstab -L [path/to/mount_point]

Display fstab-compatible output based on volume UUIDs

$ genfstab -U [path/to/mount_point]

Display fstab-compatible output based on specified identifier

$ genfstab -t [LABEL|UUID|PARTLABEL|PARTUUID]

Append a volume into /etc/fstab for automatic mounting

$ genfstab -U [path/to/mount_point] | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab

genfstab generates output suitable for an /etc/fstab file by detecting mounted filesystems under a given root directory. It's primarily used during Arch Linux installation to create the fstab file for a new system.The tool reads mount information from /proc/self/mountinfo and outputs proper fstab entries with the appropriate source identifiers (UUID, LABEL, etc.), mount points adjusted relative to the specified root, filesystem types, and mount options.Using UUIDs (-U) is recommended as they remain stable across hardware changes, unlike device names like /dev/sda1 which can change.

PARAMETERS

-U

Use UUIDs for source identifiers

-L

Use filesystem labels for source identifiers

-t TAG

Use specified tag: LABEL, UUID, PARTLABEL, or PARTUUID

-f FILTER

Restrict output to mountpoints matching the given prefix filter.

-p

Exclude pseudofs mounts (default behavior).

-P

Include pseudofs mounts.

-h

Display usage and options.

INSTALL

sudo apk add alpine-conf

CAVEATS

Must be run with appropriate permissions to read mount information. The target filesystems must be mounted before running genfstab. Verify the output before writing to /etc/fstab, as incorrect entries can prevent system boot.

HISTORY

genfstab is part of the arch-install-scripts package, developed for Arch Linux installation. It simplifies fstab creation, which was traditionally done manually or with less reliable methods. The tool has been adopted by other Arch-based distributions.