partprobe Command in Linux
The partprobe command in Linux informs the operating system about changes in the partition table without rebooting. The kernel may not automatically detect these changes after creating, deleting, or resizing partitions using tools like fdisk or parted. The partprobe command prompts the kernel to re-read the partition table, ensuring it has the updated information.
Table of Contents
Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the partprobe command −
Syntax of partprobe Command
The syntax of the Linux partprobe command is as follows −
partprobe [options] [device]
The [options] field in the above syntax is used to specify various options to modify the command's behavior. The [device] is used to specify the device whose partition table needs to be probed. If no device is specified then the command probes all the detected devices.
partprobe Command Options
The options of the partprobe command are listed below −
| Flags | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
| -d | --dry-run | Simulate the update without making actual changes to the kernel |
| -s | --summary | Display a summary of devices and their partitions |
| -h | --help | Display a help message with available options |
| -v | --version | Show the command version |
Examples of partprobe Command in Linux
In this section, the usage of the partprobe command will be discussed with examples −
Note − The partprobe command is installed by default in all major Linux distributions. To verify the installation, check the version using the -v or --version option.
partprobe -v
Applying Changes for All Devices
To apply changes for all the devices, use the partprobe command with sudo −
sudo partprobe
Note that if there are no issues and the kernel successfully re-reads the partition table, partprobe exits silently without output.
Applying Changes for a Specific Device
To inform the kernel about modifications in a specific device, use the partprobe command with the device name −
sudo partprobe /dev/vda
Dry Running
To run the partprobe command without applying the changes use -d or --dry-run option.
sudo partprobe -d
Displaying Summary
To display the summary of all the devices, use the -s or --summary option −
sudo partprobe -s
Displaying Help
To display help about the partprobe command, use the -h or --help option −
partprobe -h
Conclusion
The partprobe command in Linux updates the kernel about any changes made to the partition table, ensuring that the operating system recognizes modifications like creating, deleting, or resizing partitions.
The partprobe command can be used with various options such as applying changes for all devices, specifying a particular device, performing a dry run, or displaying a summary of devices. It is a handy tool to ensure that the system stays up to date with partition changes without requiring a reboot.
In this brief tutorial, we explained the partprobe command, its syntax, options, and usage in Linux with examples.