KEXEC_LOAD(2)						     Linux Programmer's Manual						     KEXEC_LOAD(2)

NAME

       kexec_load - load a new kernel for later execution

SYNOPSIS

       #include <linux/kexec.h>
       long kexec_load(unsigned long entry, unsigned long nr_segments,
		       struct kexec_segment *segments, unsigned long flags);

       Note: There is no glibc wrapper for this system call; see NOTES.

DESCRIPTION

       The kexec_load() system call loads a new kernel that can be executed later by reboot(2).

       The flags argument is a mask whose high-order bits control the operation of the call.  The following values can be specified in flags:

       KEXEC_ON_CRASH (since Linux 2.6.13)
	      Execute the new kernel automatically on a system crash.

       KEXEC_PRESERVE_CONTEXT (since Linux 2.6.27)
	      Preserve the system hardware and software states before executing the new kernel.  This could be used for system suspend.  This flag
	      is only available if the kernel was configured with CONFIG_KEXEC_JUMP, and is only effective if nr_segments is greater than 0.

       The low-order bits of flags contain the architecture of the to-be-executed kernel.  Specify (OR) the constant KEXEC_ARCH_DEFAULT to use the
       current	architecture,  or one of the following architecture constants KEXEC_ARCH_386, KEXEC_ARCH_X86_64, KEXEC_ARCH_PPC, KEXEC_ARCH_PPC64,
       KEXEC_ARCH_IA_64, KEXEC_ARCH_ARM, KEXEC_ARCH_S390, KEXEC_ARCH_SH, KEXEC_ARCH_MIPS, and KEXEC_ARCH_MIPS_LE.  The architecture must  be  exe-
       cutable on the CPU of the system.

       The entry argument is the physical entry address in the kernel image.  The nr_segments argument is the number of segments pointed to by the
       segments pointer.  The segments argument is an array of kexec_segment structures which define the kernel layout:

	   struct kexec_segment {
	       void   *buf;	   /* Buffer in user space */
	       size_t  bufsz;	   /* Buffer length in user space */
	       void   *mem;	   /* Physical address of kernel */
	       size_t  memsz;	   /* Physical address length */
	   };

       The kernel image defined by segments is copied from the calling process into previously reserved memory.

RETURN VALUE

       On success, kexec_load() returns 0.  On error, -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS

       EBUSY  Another crash kernel is already being loaded or a crash kernel is already in use.

       EINVAL flags is invalid; or nr_segments is too large

       EPERM  The caller does not have the CAP_SYS_BOOT capability.

VERSIONS

       The kexec_load() system call first appeared in Linux 2.6.13.

CONFORMING TO

       This system call is Linux-specific.

NOTES

       Currently, there is no glibc support for kexec_load().  Call it using syscall(2).

       The required constants are in the Linux kernel source file linux/kexec.h, which is not currently exported to glibc.  Therefore, these  con-
       stants must be defined manually.

       This system call is only available if the kernel was configured with CONFIG_KEXEC.

SEE ALSO

       reboot(2), syscall(2)

COLOPHON

       This  page is part of release 3.44 of the Linux man-pages project.  A description of the project, and information about reporting bugs, can
       be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

Linux								    2012-07-13							     KEXEC_LOAD(2)