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KEXTCACHE(8)		  BSD System Manager's Manual		  KEXTCACHE(8)

NAME
     kextcache — creates or updates kext caches

SYNOPSIS
     kextcache [-a arch] [-c kernel_cache_filename] [-e] [-F] [-h] [-k]
	       [-K kernel_filename] [-l | -L] [-m mkext_filename] [-n | -N]
	       [-r] [-s | -S] [-t] [-v [1-6]] [-z] [kext_or_directory] ...

DESCRIPTION
     The kextcache program creates or updates kext caches, which are used to
     speed up kext loading operations and to prepare kexts for inclusion in
     such media as device ROM.

     There are three kinds of kext cache.  The first is the mkext cache, which
     contains the info dictionaries and binary files for an arbitrary set of
     kexts.  Mkext caches are used during early system startup to load drivers
     essential to mounting the root filesystem and providing basic hardware
     services.	They're also used to package drivers in device ROM.  To create
     an mkext cache use the -m option.

     The second type of cache is the kext repository cache, which contains the
     info dictionaries for all the kexts in a single repository directory,
     including their plugins, in a file with a .kextcache extension.  A repos‐
     itory cache speeds the startup of tools such as kextload(8) and kextd(8).
     A repository cache must exist alongside its repository directory for the
     kext tools to find and use it.  The kext tools normally build or update
     repository caches as needed.  To create or update a kext cache use the -k
     option.

     The third type of cache is the kernel cache, which contains the kernel
     code, linked kext code, and info dictionaries for an arbitrary set of
     kexts. Having the kernel code and kexts already linked speeds the startup
     of tools such as kextload(8) and kextd(8).	 To create or update a kernel
     cache use the -c option.

     kextcache accepts these arguments and options:

     kext_or_directory
	      A kext bundle or a repository directory containing kexts to add
	      to the cache.  When using the -m option only, any number may be
	      specified.  When using the -k option, only a single directory
	      may be named.

     -a arch  Include in an mkext archive only kexts whose executable files
	      contain code for the given arch, stripping the binaries before
	      inclusion.  If multiple -a options are used, a fat file will be
	      created containing multiple mkext archives that are thinned for
	      each of the specified architectures.

     -c kernel_cache_filename
	      The name of the kernel cache file to create. If none is speci‐
	      fied, a cache file is created in the /Sys‐
	      tem/Library/Caches/com.apple.kernelcaches/ folder.

     -e	      This option is a convenience to update the mkext cache for the
	      /System/Library/Extensions folder.

     -F	      Fork a child process and exit immediately.  This allows a cache
	      update during system startup to continue without delaying
	      startup.

     -h	      Extended usage statement

     -k	      Create or update the kext cache for any repository directories
	      specified.

     -K kernel_filename
	      The name of the kernel file to use as the base of a kernel cache
	      file (default is /mach_kernel).

     -l	      Specifies that for directory arguments, only extensions required
	      for local disk boot be included in an mkext cache.  Kexts
	      explicitly named on the command line are included uncondition‐
	      ally; to apply this restriction to all kexts, use the -L option.
	      May be combined with the -n, -N, -s, or -S options to archive
	      network-root and safe boot extensions as well.

     -L	      Specifies that only extensions required for local disk boot be
	      included in an mkext cache.  To apply this restriction only to
	      repository directories, use the -l option.  May be combined with
	      the -n, -N, -s, or -S options to archive network-root and safe
	      boot extensions as well.

     -m mkext_filename
	      The name of the mkext cache file to create.

     -n	      Specifies that for directory arguments, only extensions required
	      for network boot be included in an mkext cache.  Kexts explic‐
	      itly named on the command line are included unconditionally; to
	      apply this restriction to all kexts, use the -N option.  May be
	      combined with the -l, -L, -s, or -S options to archive local-
	      root and safe boot extensions as well.

     -N	      Specifies that only extensions required for network boot be
	      included in an mkext cache.  To apply this restriction only to
	      repository directories, use the -n option.  May be combined with
	      the -l, -L, -s, or -S options to archive local-root and safe
	      boot extensions as well.

     -r	      Include all kexts that have been loaded by the machine running
	      this command during this boot. This include kexts loaded and
	      later unloaded.

     -s	      Specifies that for directory arguments, only extensions required
	      for safe boot be included in an mkext cache.  Kexts explicitly
	      named on the command line are included unconditionally; to apply
	      this restriction to all kexts, use the -S option.	 May be com‐
	      bined with the -l, -L, -n, or -N options to archive local- and
	      network-root extensions as well.

     -S	      Specifies that only extensions required for safe boot be
	      included in an mkext cache.  To apply this restriction only to
	      repository directories, use the -s option.  May be combined with
	      the -l, -L, -n, or -N options to archive local- and network-root
	      extensions as well.

     -t	      Perform all possible tests on the named kext(s) and indicate
	      whether the kext is loadable (and therefore eligible for inclu‐
	      sion in the cache), or if not, what problems it has.  Note that
	      tests are performed in three stages, validation, authentication,
	      and dependency resolution; a failure at any stage can make tests
	      in further stages impossible.  Thus, a kext with validation
	      failures may have unreported authentication problems or missing
	      dependencies.

     -v [1-6]
	      Verbose mode; print information about the kext scanning and
	      loading process. Higher levels of verbosity include all lower
	      levels.  With this program only verbose levels 1-3 are useful.
	      The levels of verbose output are these:

	      1	   prints basic kext scanning and archiving information

	      2	   prints basic compression information

	      3	   prints detailed kext scanning information; also uncom‐
		   presses mkext cache entries to make sure they do so without
		   error

	      4	   prints basic information on every kext encountered

	      5	   prints detailed information on every kext encountered

	      6	   prints detailed load information (not applicable)

	      A kext can also specify verbose printing for just itself using
	      the OSBundleDebugLevel top-level info dictionary property.  Its
	      values are 1 and 2, for basic and detailed information, respec‐
	      tively.

     -z	      Don't authenticate kexts.	 This option is for convenience in
	      building archive and cache files.	 Mkext archives and kext
	      repository caches must have proper ownership (root:wheel) and
	      permissions (0644) in order to be used by the system.

     --	      End of all options. Only kext or directory names follow.

DIAGNOSTICS
     kextcache exits with a zero status upon success.  Upon failure, it prints
     an error message and exits with a nonzero status.	When the -F option is
     used, however, kextcache exits with a nonzero status only if the fork(2)
     operation fails.

SEE ALSO
     kextd(8), kextload(8), kextstat(8), kextunload(8)

BUGS
     Upon encountering a kext with validation errors, kextcache typically
     prints an error message about that kext, even if it isn't involved in the
     cacheing request.

Darwin				 April 8, 2002				Darwin
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