NDCTL-WRITE-LABELS(1)

✨ NDCTL-WRITE-LABELS(1) ✨

okay bestie, welcome to the ndctl manual, page one of the write-labels saga 💖 This is part of the ndctl Manual, and it's literally all about shoving data into the label area of a dimm. iykyk.

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🌸 NAME 🌸

ndctl-write-labels — write data to the label area on a dimm 🎀

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

ndctl write-labels <nmem> [-i <filename>]

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💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

So. The namespace label area is this small persistent partition of capacity that lives on some NVDIMM devices, right? And its whole job is to provision one (or more, we love options) namespaces out of regions. 👑

What this command does: it reads data from the input filename — or from stdin if you're feeling spicy — and writes it straight to the <nmem> device you point at. 🌈

⚠️ BIG IMPORTANT VIBE CHECK: the device must not be active in any region. If it is, the kernel will not allow write access to the device's label data area. no cap. so check first, bestie. 💀

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

• <memory device(s)> — a nmemX device name, or a dimm id number. Restricts the operation to the dimm(s) you name. you can also pass the keyword all to say "no restrictions whatsoever", but ngl that's exactly the same as just not passing a --dimm option at all. 🙈
• -s, --size= — limit the operation to the given number of bytes. and if you pass a size of 0? that means "operate over the entire label capacity", periodt. 🫶
• -O, --offset= — begin the operation at the given offset into the label area. like, start here, queen. 📍
• -b, --bus= — a bus id number, or a provider string (e.g. "ACPI.NFIT"). restricts the operation to the specified bus(es). the keyword all says "no restrictions", which — again — is the same as not supplying a --bus option at all. 💜
• -v — turn on verbose debug messages in the library (only if ndctl was built with logging and debug enabled, so don't come for me if it's quiet). 🔥
• -i, --input — input file. that's it, that's the option. 🍓

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• UEFI NVDIMM Label Protocol — http://www.uefi.org/sites/default/files/resources/UEFI_Spec_2_7.pdf

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! this was ndctl, version dated 2026-07-07, and the page itself is dated 2026-07-07 too. slay 💅✨ go write some labels responsibly, mwah 🎀🦋💖