.\" See file COPYING in distribution for details.
-.TH MDMON 8 "" v3.1.1
+.TH MDMON 8 "" v3.1.2
.SH NAME
mdmon \- monitor MD external metadata arrays
.I mdmon
must be installed on the
.B initramfs
-and there must be a writable filesystem (typically tmpfs) which
+and there must be a writable filesystem (typically tmpfs) in which
.B mdmon
can create a
.B .pid
and
.B .sock
-file on. The particular filesystem to use is given to mdmon at compile
+file. The particular filesystem to use is given to mdmon at compile
time and defaults to
-.BR /lib/init/rw .
+.BR /dev/.mdadm .
-This filesystem must persist through to the end of the boot sequence.
+This filesystem must persist through to shutdown time.
After the final root filesystem has be instantiated (usually with
.BR pivot_root )
-and after
-.B /var
-is mounted writable,
.I mdmon
should be run with
.I "\-\-all \-\-takeover"
.I mdmon
running from the
.B initramfs
-can be replaced with one running in the main root.
+can be replaced with one running in the main root, and so the
+memory used by the initramfs can be released.
At shutdown time,
.I mdmon
should not be killed along with other processes. Also as it holds a
file (socket actually) open in
-.B /var
-it will not be possible to unmount
-.B /var
-if it is a separate filesystem. Rather the
-.B /var
-filesystem, like the root filesystem, should be remounted read-only.
-
-
+.B /dev
+(by default) it will not be possible to unmount
+.B /dev
+if it is a separate filesystem.
.SH EXAMPLES
Any
.I mdmon
which is currently running is killed and a new instance is started.
-This should be run late in the boot sequence and particularly after
-.B /var
-is mounted and writable.
+This should be run during in the boot sequence if an initramfs was
+used, so that any mdmon running from the initramfs will not hold
+the initramfs active.
.SH SEE ALSO
.IR mdadm (8),
.IR md (4).