SETUP-BOOTABLE(8)

📦 version 3.22.0, in alpine 3.24

💅 SETUP-BOOTABLE 💅

okay so bestie, welcome to setup-bootable — it's a section 8 System Manager's Manual page, and it's literally the glow-up your device (or directory) has been waiting for. Sit down, hydrate, and let me tell you how to make something bootable. 🦋

✨ NAME ✨

setup-bootable — make a device or directory bootable 👑

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

setup-bootable [-f] [-h] [-k] [-s] [-U] [-u] [-v] SOURCE [DEST]

setup-bootable -c DIR

Two whole modes, bestie. Two. Pick your fighter. 🥊

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

So here's the tea: setup-bootable copies SOURCE to DEST and makes DEST bootable. That's it, that's the whole vibe. 💅

SOURCE can be a directory, an ISO image, or a URL — she's versatile like that. DEST defaults to /media/usb and can be a mounted directory or a block device. No cap. 🎀

The script copies boot, EFI, APK, syslinux.cfg, and .alpine-release files. If DEST is a device, the bootloader (syslinux by default on x86) is installed after the copy. Iconic behavior honestly. ✨

In check mode (-c), the script inspects and optionally fixes the syslinux.cfg in DIR without copying or installing anything. Just a little look-see. A vibe check, if you will. 🫶

✨ OPTIONS ✨

  • -c DIR — Check syslinux.cfg in DIR. Use with -f to fix entries. It's giving inspector energy 🔍
  • -f — Force overwrite of existing files and overwrite syslinux.cfg on upgrade. She does NOT ask permission. 💀
  • -h — Display usage information and exit. Your lil' help button 🥺
  • -k — Fix kernel and initrd names in syslinux.cfg if needed. Tiny name corrections, no biggie 🩹
  • -s — Force running the bootloader even when in upgrade mode. Stubborn? We respect it 🔥
  • -U — Replace alpine_dev references in syslinux.cfg with the device UUID when a UUID is found. UUIDs are literally so main character 💜
  • -u — Upgrade mode. Keep the existing syslinux.cfg and do not run the bootloader. Lowkey the brand-new-you mode 🌸
  • -v — Verbose output. She's talking AND telling you everything 😭

✨ ENVIRONMENT ✨

  • BOOTLOADER — Set to syslinux or none. Defaults to syslinux on x86/x86_64 and none on other architectures. Choose your player wisely ✨

✨ EXIT STATUS ✨

  • 0 — Success. We love a happy ending 💖
  • non-zero — An error occurred. 🫠 it happens, bestie

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

syslinux(8), setup-disk(8), setup-alpine(8) — go read those too, iykyk 📚

✨ AUTHORS ✨

Natanael Copa <ncopa@alpinelinux.org> and others 🫶

and that's the whole page, babes! this iconic little manual came to you from Alpine Linux, dated 2026-06-09, and it's literally the SETUP-BOOTABLE(8) page. now go make something bootable. slay. 💅🎀🦋

📦 where this page comes from