OS Manuals

/usr/bin/mdadm

Tool for managing Linux Software RAID (MD) arrays

From mdadm 4.6-r1 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running mdadm --help (exit 0). permalink

mdadm is used for building, managing, and monitoring
Linux md devices (aka RAID arrays)
Usage: mdadm --create device options...
            Create a new array from unused devices.
       mdadm --assemble device options...
            Assemble a previously created array.
       mdadm --detail device options...
            Show detailed status of an array..
       mdadm --build device options...
            Create or assemble an array without metadata.
       mdadm --manage device options...
            make changes to an existing array.
       mdadm --misc options... devices
            report on or modify various md related devices.
       mdadm --grow options device
            resize/reshape an active array
       mdadm --incremental device
            add/remove a device to/from an array as appropriate
       mdadm --monitor options...
            Monitor one or more array for significant changes.
       mdadm device options...
            Shorthand for --manage.
Any parameter that does not start with '-' is treated as a device name
or, for --examine-bitmap, a file name.
The first such name is often the name of an md device.  Subsequent
names are often names of component devices.

 For detailed help on the above major modes use --help after the mode
 e.g.
         mdadm --assemble --help
 For general help on options use
         mdadm --help-options
Options (19)
OptionDescriptionSource
-A, --assembleAssemble a pre-existing array.man
-B, --buildBuild a legacy array without superblocks.man
-C, --createCreate a new array.man
-F, --follow, --monitorSelect Monitor mode.man
-G, --growChange the size or shape of an active array.man
-I, --incrementalAdd/remove a single device to/from an appropriate array, and possibly start the array.man
--auto-detectRequest that the kernel starts any auto-detected arrays.man
-h, --helpDisplay a general help message or, after one of the above options, a mode-specific help message.man
--help-optionsDisplay more detailed help about command-line parsing and some commonly used options.man
-V, --versionPrint version information for mdadm.man
-v, --verboseBe more verbose about what is happening.man
-q, --quietAvoid printing purely informative messages.man
-f, --forceBe more forceful about certain operations.man
-c, --configSpecify the config file or directory.man
-s, --scanScan config file or /proc/mdstat for missing information.man
-e, --metadataDeclare the style of RAID metadata (superblock) to be used.man
--homehostThis will override any HOMEHOST setting in the config file and provides the identity of the host which should be considered the home for any arrays.man
--preferWhen mdadm needs to print the name for a device it normally finds the name in /dev which refers to the device and is the shortest.man
--home-clusterspecifies the cluster name for the md device.man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.