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KEXEC_LOAD(2)                 Linux Programmer's Manual                 KEXEC_LOAD(2)

NAME         top

       kexec_load - load a new kernel for later execution

SYNOPSIS         top

       #include <linux/kexec.h>
       long kexec_load(unsigned long entry, unsigned long nr_segments,
                       struct kexec_segment *segments, unsigned long flags);

DESCRIPTION         top

       The kexec_load() system call loads a new kernel that can be executed later by
       reboot(2).

       The flags argument is a mask whose high-order bits control the operation of
       the call.  The following values can be specified in flags:

       KEXEC_ON_CRASH (since Linux 2.6.13)
              Execute the new kernel automatically on a system crash.

       KEXEC_PRESERVE_CONTEXT (since Linux 2.7.27)
              Preserve the system hardware and software states before executing the
              new kernel.  This could be used for system suspend.  This flag is only
              available if the kernel was configured with CONFIG_KEXEC_JUMP, and is
              only effective if nr_segments is greater than 0.

       The low-order bits of flags contain the architecture of the to-be-executed
       kernel.  Specify (OR) the constant KEXEC_ARCH_DEFAULT to use the current
       architecture, or one of the following architecture constants KEXEC_ARCH_386,
       KEXEC_ARCH_X86_64, KEXEC_ARCH_PPC, KEXEC_ARCH_PPC64, KEXEC_ARCH_IA_64,
       KEXEC_ARCH_ARM, KEXEC_ARCH_S390, KEXEC_ARCH_SH, KEXEC_ARCH_MIPS, and
       KEXEC_ARCH_MIPS_LE.  The architecture must be executable on the CPU of the
       system.

       The entry argument is the physical entry address in the kernel image.  The
       nr_segments argument is the number of segments pointed to by the segments
       pointer.  The segments argument is an array of kexec_segment structures which
       define the kernel layout:

           struct kexec_segment {
               void   *buf;        /* Buffer in user space */
               size_t  bufsz;      /* Buffer length in user space */
               void   *mem;        /* Physical address of kernel */
               size_t  memsz;      /* Physical address length */
           };

       The kernel image defined by segments is copied from the calling process into
       previously reserved memory.

RETURN VALUE         top

       On success, kexec_load() returns 0.  On error, -1 is returned and errno is set
       to indicate the error.

ERRORS         top

       EBUSY  Another crash kernel is already being loaded or a crash kernel is
              already in use.

       EINVAL flags is invalid; or nr_segments is too large

       EPERM  The caller does not have the CAP_SYS_BOOT capability.

VERSIONS         top

       The kexec_load() system call first appeared in Linux 2.6.13.

CONFORMING TO         top

       This system call is Linux-specific.

NOTES         top

       Currently, there is no glibc support for kexec_load().  Call it using
       syscall(2).

       The required constants are in the kernel source file linux/kexec.h, which is
       not currently exported to glibc.  Therefore, these constants must be defined
       manually.

       This system call is only available if the kernel was configured with
       CONFIG_KEXEC.

SEE ALSO         top

       reboot(2), syscall(2)

COLOPHON         top

       This page is part of release 3.32 of the Linux man-pages project.  A
       description of the project, and information about reporting bugs, can be found
       at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

Linux                                 2010-11-04                        KEXEC_LOAD(2)

HTML rendering created 2010-12-03 by Michael Kerrisk, author of The Linux Programming Interface

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