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beadm Command Reference

The beadm command, /usr/sbin/beadm, enables users to manage their boot environments. The following table summarizes the subcommands and options for the beadm utility.

Table 11-1 beadm Command

Subcommands

Description

beadm

Displays command usage.

beadm activate

Makes beName the active boot environment on next reboot.

Syntax: beadm activate beName

beadm create

Creates a new boot environment name, beName. Unless the -e option is provided, the new boot environment is created as a clone of the currently running boot environment.

Syntax: beadm create [-a] [-d description] [-e non-activeBeName | beName@snapshot] [-o property=value] beName

  • -a – Activate the newly created boot environment upon creation. The default is to not activate the newly created boot environment.

  • -d description – Use this description as the title in the GRUB menu that describes this new boot environment. If this option is not used, beName is used for the title.

  • -e non-activeBeName – Create a new boot environment from an existing, inactive boot environment. The default is to create the boot environment from the active boot environment.

  • -e beName@snapshot – Create a new boot environment from an existing snapshot of the boot environment named beName.

  • -o property=value – Create the datasets for new boot environment with specific ZFS properties. Multiple -o options can be specified. See zfs(1M) for more information on the -o option.

  • beName – Name of the boot environment to create.

  • beName@snapshot – Name of an existing snapshot of the boot environment named beName.

beadm create beName@snapshot

Creates a snapshot of the existing boot environment named beName.

Syntax: beadm create beName@snapshot

beName@snapshot – The snapshot name must use the format, beName@snapshotdescription, where beName is the name of an existing boot environment that you want to make a snapshot from. Enter a custom snapshotdescription to identify the date or purpose of the snapshot.

beadm destroy

Destroys the boot environment named beName or destroys an existing snapshot, beName@snapshot, of a boot environment. Prompts for confirmation before destroying the boot environment.

Syntax: beadm destroy [-fF] beName | beName@snapshot

  • -f – Forces destruction of the boot environment even if it is mounted.

  • -F – Forces destruction of the boot environment without prompting for confirmation.

beadm list

Lists information about the existing boot environment, which is beName, or lists information for all boot environments if beName is not provided. The default is to list boot environments without any additional information.

Syntax: beadm list [-a | [-ds] [-H] [beName]

  • -a – Lists all available information about the boot environment. This information includes subordinate datasets and snapshots.

  • -d – Lists information about all subordinate datasets hat belong to the boot environment.

  • -s – Lists information about the snapshots of the boot environment.

  • -H – Prevents listing header information. Each field in the output is separated by a semicolon.

    The example is displayed without a header:

    BE2:no:yes:mounted:/pool1/BE/BE2:6.2G;;;

    Without header information, the display information is identified by the following delimiters:

    • ; – Delimits boot environments, datasets, zones, and snapshots.

    • : – Delimits attributes for boot environments, datasets, zones, and snapshots.

    • , – Delimits multiple datasets, zones, and snapshots.

    • Multiple boot environments are delimited with a return, a blank line.


    Note - The -p option can be combined with the other options.


  • beName – If beName is not provided, the command results display information for all boot environments.

beadm mount

Mounts a boot environment named beName at mount point. The mount point must be an already existing, empty directory.

Syntax: beadm mount beName mountpoint

beadm rename

Renames the boot environment named beName to newBeName.

Syntax: beadm rename beName newBeName

beadm unmount

Unmounts the boot environment named beName.

Syntax: beadm unmount [-f] beName

-f – Forcefully unmounts the boot environment even if it is currently busy.

For detailed instructions about the beadm utility, see the beadm(1M) man page.

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