zipl modes and syntax overview

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 LPAR mode z/VM guest KVM guest

zipl can operate in command-line mode or in configuration-file mode.

Command-line mode
To run zipl in command-line mode, specify one of the following base functions:
-i
see Preparing a boot device
-d
see Preparing a dump device
-M
see Preparing a multi-volume dump on ECKD DASD
Configuration-file mode
To run zipl in configuration-file mode, omit the base function or specify the -m base function (see Installing a menu configuration).

In this mode, zipl processes a zipl configuration file and, optionally, one or more Boot Loader Specification (BLS) snippets. BLS snippets are always processed as part of a menu configuration.

For more information about the zipl configuration file, see zipl configuration file structure.

For more information about BLS snippets, see BLS configuration snippets.

zipl syntax overview

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagramzipl -V--dry-runparameters when omitting base function-ii_parameters -dd_parameters-MM_parameters-mm_parameters
parameters when omitting base function
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram-c /etc/zipl.conf1-c  <config_file>-b /boot/loader/entries2-b <bls_dir> [default]3  <configuration> -P  <parameters>4 -a5 -S auto-S <mode>5 -n
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram
Notes:
  • 1 You can change the default configuration file with the ZIPLCONF environment variable.
  • 2 You can change the default directory with the BOOT environment variable.
  • 3 If no configuration is specified, zipl uses the configuration in the [defaultboot] section of the configuration file.
  • 4 In a boot configuration only.
  • 5 In a boot configuration or a menu configuration only.
Where:
-c <config_file>
specifies the zipl configuration file to be used.
-b <bls_dir>
specifies a directory to be searched for files with BLS snippets.
<configuration>
identifies a particular IPL or menu configuration in a zipl configuration-file.
-P <parameters>

can optionally be used to provide kernel parameters in a boot configuration section.

If you provide multiple parameters, separate them with a blank and enclose them within single quotation marks (') or double quotation marks (").

-a
in a boot configuration section, adds kernel image, kernel parameter file, and initial RAM disk to the bootmap file. Use this option when these files are spread across multiple disks to ensure that they are available at IPL time. Specifying this option significantly increases the size of the bootmap file that is created in the target directory.
-S <mode> or --secure <mode>
SCSI IPL disk device for LPAR only: Controls the format of the boot data that zipl writes to the IPL device. <mode> takes the following values:
auto
Uses the secure-boot enabled format if the zipl command is issued on a mainframe with secure-boot support. This is the default.
1
Enforces the secure-boot enabled format regardless of mainframe support. Use this option to prepare boot devices for systems other than the one you are working on. Disks with this format cannot be booted on machines z14 or earlier.
0
Enforces the traditional format, that does not support secure boot, regardless of mainframe support. Disks with this format can be booted on all machines but cannot be used for secure boot.
For more information about secure boot, see Secure boot.
-n
suppresses confirmation prompts that require operator responses to allow unattended processing (for example, for processing DASD or tape dump configuration sections).
-V
provides verbose command output.
--dry-run
simulates a zipl command. Use this option to test a configuration without overwriting data on your device.

During simulation, zipl performs all command processing and issues error messages where appropriate. Data is temporarily written to the target directory and is cleared up when the command simulation is completed.

-v
displays version information.
-h
displays help information.

Examples

  • To process the default configuration in the default configuration file (/etc/zipl.conf, unless specified otherwise with the environment variable ZIPLCONF) issue: 
    # zipl
  • To process the default configuration in a configuration file /etc/myxmp.conf issue: 
    # zipl -c /etc/myxmp.conf
  • To process a configuration [myconf] in the default configuration file issue: 
    # zipl myconf
  • To process a configuration [myconf] in a configuration file /etc/myxmp.conf issue: 
    # zipl -c /etc/myxmp.conf myconf
  • To simulate processing a configuration [myconf] in a configuration file /etc/myxmp.conf issue: 
    # zipl --dry-run -c /etc/myxmp.conf myconf