kpartx: Linux Create Device Maps From Partition Tables ( mpath devices for partitions )

kpartx is a utility that can be used to create device maps from partition tables on a Linux system. kpartx allows you to access the partitions on a block device as separate block devices, which can be useful for working with disk images, logical volumes, and other types of partitioned devices.

Here is an example of how to use kpartx to create device maps from partition tables on a Linux system:

1. Install kpartx. If you don't already have kpartx installed on your system, you can install it using your system's package manager. For example, on a Debian-based system, you can use the apt command to install kpartx:

$ sudo apt install kpartx

2. Use the kpartx command to create the device maps. To create the device maps, you can use the kpartx command with the -a option to specify the block device for which you want to create the device maps.

For example, to create device maps for the block device /dev/sda, you can use the following command:

$ sudo kpartx -a /dev/sda

This will create device maps for each partition on the block device /dev/sda. The device maps will have names in the form /dev/mapper/mpathX, where X is a unique identifier for the partition.

3. (Optional) Use the kpartx command to delete the device maps. To delete the device maps that were created by kpartx, you can use the kpartx command with the -d option to specify the block device for which you want to delete the device maps.

For example, to delete the device maps for the block device /dev/sda, you can use the following command:

$ sudo kpartx -d /dev/sda

This will delete the device maps for each partition on the block device /dev/sda.

These are just a few examples of how to use kpartx to create device maps from partition tables on a Linux system. You can use the kpartx --help command to see a complete list of options and usage examples.