Also, there may be several device lines present in the file.
+Alternatively, a
+.B device
+line can contain the word
+.BR partitions .
+This will cause
+.I mdadm
+to read
+.I /proc/partitions
+and include all devices and partitions found there-in.
+.I mdadm
+does not use the names from
+.I /proc/partitions
+but only the major and minor device numbers. It scans
+.I /dev
+to find the name that matches the numbers.
+
For example:
.IP
DEVICE /dev/hda* /dev/hdc*
DEV /dev/sd*
.br
DEVICE /dev/discs/disc*/disc
+.br
+DEVICE partitions
.TP
.B ARRAY
interspersed if desired. This must match the uuid stored in the
superblock.
.TP
+.B name=
+The value should be a simple textual name as was given to
+.I mdadm
+when the array was created. This must match the name stored in the
+superblock on a device for that device to be included in the array.
+Not all superblock-formats support names.
+.TP
.B super-minor=
The value is an integer which indicates the minor number that was
stored in the superblock when the array was created. When an array is
created as /dev/mdX, then the minor number X is stored.
.TP
.B devices=
-The value is a comma separated list of device names. Precisely these
-devices will be used to assemble the array. Note that the devices
+The value is a comma separated list of device names or device name
+patterns.
+Only devices with names which match one entry in the list will be used
+to assemble the array. Note that the devices
listed there must also be listed on a DEVICE line.
.TP
.B level=
will, when monitoring the arrays, move a spare drive from one array in
a group to another array in that group if the first array had a failed
or missing drive but no spare.
+
+.TP
+.B auto=
+This option declares to
+.B mdadm
+that it should try to create the device file of the array if it
+doesn't already exist, or exists but with the wrong device number.
+
+The value of this option can be "yes" or "md" to indicate that a
+traditional, non-partitionable md array should be created, or "mdp",
+"part" or "partition" to indicate that a partitionable md array (only
+available in linux 2.6 and later) should be used. This later set can
+also have a number appended to indicate how many partitions to create
+device files for, e.g.
+.BR auto=mdp5 .
+The default is 4.
.RE
.TP
.br
# /dev/md2 is made from precisey these two devices
.br
-ARRAY /dev/md2 devices=/dev/hda1,/dev/hda2
+ARRAY /dev/md2 devices=/dev/hda1,/dev/hdb1
# /dev/md4 and /dev/md5 are a spare-group and spares
.br
ARRAY /dev/md5 uuid=19464854:03f71b1b:e0df2edd:246cc977
.br
spare-group=group1
+.br
+# /dev/md/home is created if need to be a partitionable md array
+.br
+# any spare device number is allocated.
+.br
+ARRAY /dev/md/home UUID=9187a482:5dde19d9:eea3cc4a:d646ab8b
+.br
+ auto=part
MAILADDR root@mydomain.tld
.br