NAME

       unmkinitramfs - extract content from an initramfs image

SYNOPSIS

       unmkinitramfs [-v] initramfs-file directory
       unmkinitramfs -h

DESCRIPTION

       The  unmkinitramfs command extracts the content of a given initramfs image using cpio and the appropriate
       decompressor command.

       The initramfs image may be a single compressed cpio archive,  or  the  concatenation  of  any  number  of
       uncompressed cpio archives followed by a compressed cpio archive.

       When  the  initramfs image includes one or more "early initramfs" archives, that is uncompressed archives
       with microcode or other files that the kernel uses directly, these are extracted to sub-directories named
       "early", "early2", etc., and the other archives are extracted to a sub-directory named "main".

       In a future version of initramfs-tools this behaviour may change  so  that  all  archives  are  extracted
       directly into the given directory.

OPTIONS

       -h     Display usage information and exit.

       -v     Display verbose messages about extraction.

USAGE EXAMPLES

       Extract initramfs content of current running kernel:

       unmkinitramfs /boot/initrd.img-$(uname -r) initramfs/

BUGS

       unmkinitramfs does not support initramfs images with more or less than one compressed cpio archive.

AUTHOR

       The initramfs-tools are written by Maximilian Attems <maks@debian.org> and numerous others.

SEE ALSO

       initramfs-tools(7), lsinitramfs(8), mkinitramfs(8), update-initramfs(8).

initramfs-tools                                    2025/03/20                                   UNMKINITRAMFS(8)