From: AndyLau-SOC Date: Wed, 6 May 2026 12:14:31 +0000 (+0800) Subject: docs: clarify wipefs --force description for partition-table signatures X-Git-Url: http://git.ipfire.org/gitweb/index.cgi?a=commitdiff_plain;h=583704fe1e89286cade521d15cb14eec5fd50985;p=thirdparty%2Futil-linux.git docs: clarify wipefs --force description for partition-table signatures The current description states that --force "is required in order to erase a partition-table signature on a block device", which is misleading. According to the source code (do_wipe() in wipefs.c), --force is needed for mounted filesystems and for nested partition tables on non-whole-disk devices, not for all partition tables on all block devices. Update the text to say "a nested partition-table signature on a non-whole disk device", consistent with the note earlier in the man page. Fixes #2447 --- diff --git a/misc-utils/wipefs.8.adoc b/misc-utils/wipefs.8.adoc index 5e676ecbf..1077c7902 100644 --- a/misc-utils/wipefs.8.adoc +++ b/misc-utils/wipefs.8.adoc @@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ partitions. Create a signature backup to the file _wipefs--.bak_ in _$HOME_ or the directory specified as the optional argument. For more details see the *EXAMPLE* section. *-f*, *--force*:: -Force erasure, even if the filesystem is mounted. This is required in order to erase a partition-table signature on a block device. +Force erasure, even if the filesystem is mounted. This is also required in order to erase a nested partition-table signature on a non-whole disk device. *-J*, *--json*:: Use JSON output format.