losetup
is used to associate loop devices with regular files or block devices,
to detach loop devices and to query the status of a loop device. If only the
loop_device argument is given, the status of the corresponding loop
device is shown.
Encryption
It is possible to specify transfer functions (for encryption/decryption
or other purposes) using one of the
-E
and
-e
options.
There are two mechanisms to specify the desired encryption: by number
and by name. If an encryption is specified by number then one
has to make sure that the Linux kernel knows about the encryption with that
number, probably by patching the kernel. Standard numbers that are
always present are 0 (no encryption) and 1 (XOR encryption).
When the cryptoloop module is loaded (or compiled in), it uses number 18.
This cryptoloop module wil take the name of an arbitrary encryption type
and finds the module that knows how to perform that encryption.
(Thus, either one uses a number different from 18 with the
-E
option, or one uses a name with the
-e
option.)
OPTIONS
-a
Show status of all loop devices.
-d
Detach the file or device associated with the specified loop device.
-E encryption_type
Enable data encryption with specified number.
-e encryption_name
Enable data encryption with specified name.
-f
Find the first unused loop device. If a
file
argument is present, use this device. Otherwise, print its name.
-o offset
The data start is moved offset bytes into the specified file or
device.
-p num
Read the passphrase from file descriptor with number
num
instead of from the terminal.
-r
Setup read-only loop device.
RETURN VALUE
losetup
returns 0 on success, nonzero on failure. When
losetup
displays the status of a loop device, it returns 1 if the device
is not configured and 2 if an error occurred which prevented
losetup
from determining the status of the device.