genfstab
/etc/fstab generator from mounted filesystems
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
genfstab [options] root
DESCRIPTION
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.
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.
