# man > lvm.conf(5)

[_LVM.CONF_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LVM.CONF/5/markdown)                              File Formats Manual                             [_LVM.CONF_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LVM.CONF/5/markdown)

## NAME
       lvm.conf — Configuration file for LVM2

## SYNOPSIS
       _/etc/lvm/lvm.conf_

## DESCRIPTION
       **lvm.conf  **is loaded during the initialisation phase of [**lvm**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/lvm/8/markdown).  This file can in turn lead to
       other files being loaded - settings read in later override earlier settings.  File timestamps
       are checked between commands and if any have changed, all the files are reloaded.

       For a description of each [**lvm.conf**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/lvm.conf/5/markdown) setting, run:

### lvmconfig --typeconfig default --withcomments --withspaces

       The settings defined in lvm.conf can be overridden by any  of  these  extended  configuration
       methods:

### direct config override on command line
              The  **--config ConfigurationString **command line option takes the ConfigurationString as
              direct string representation of the configuration to override the existing  configura‐
              tion. The ConfigurationString is of exactly the same format as used in any LVM config‐
              uration file.

### profile config
              A  profile  is a set of selected customizable configuration settings that are aimed to
              achieve a certain characteristics in various environments or uses. It's used to  over‐
              ride  existing  configuration.   Normally, the name of the profile should reflect that
              environment or use.

       There are two groups of profiles recognised: **command profiles **and **metadata profiles**.

       The **command profile **is used to override selected configuration settings at global LVM command
       level - it is applied at the very beginning of LVM command execution and it is used  through‐
       out  the  whole  time  of  LVM command execution. The command profile is applied by using the
       **--commandprofile ProfileName **command line option that is recognised by all LVM2 commands.

       The **metadata profile **is used to override selected configuration settings at Volume Group/Log‐
       ical Volume level - it is applied independently for each Volume Group/Logical Volume that  is
       being processed. As such, each Volume Group/Logical Volume can store the profile name used in
       its  metadata  so  next time the Volume Group/Logical Volume is processed, the profile is ap‐
       plied automatically. If Volume Group and any of its Logical Volumes have  different  profiles
       defined, the profile defined for the Logical Volume is preferred. The metadata profile can be
       attached/detached  by  using  the  **lvchange **and **vgchange **commands and their **--metadataprofile**
       **ProfileName **and **--detachprofile **options or the **--metadataprofile **option during creation  when
       using **vgcreate **or **lvcreate **command.  The **vgs **and **lvs **reporting commands provide **-o vg_profile**
       and  **-o lv_profile **output options to show the metadata profile currently attached to a Volume
       Group or a Logical Volume.

       The set of options allowed for command profiles is mutually exclusive when  compared  to  the
       set of options allowed for metadata profiles. The settings that belong to either of these two
       sets can't be mixed together and LVM tools will reject such profiles.

       LVM  itself  provides a few predefined configuration profiles.  Users are allowed to add more
       profiles with different values if needed.  For this purpose, there's the **command_profile_tem‐**
       **plate.profile **(for command profiles) and **metadata_profile_template.profile **(for metadata pro‐
       files) which contain all settings that are customizable by profiles of  certain  type.  Users
       are  encouraged  to  copy these template profiles and edit them as needed. Alternatively, the
       **lvmconfig --file  <ProfileName.profile>  --type  profilable-command  <section>  **or  **lvmconfig**
       **--file  <ProfileName.profile>  --type profilable-metadata <section> **can be used to generate a
       configuration with profilable settings in either of the type for given section and save it to
       new ProfileName.profile (if the section is not specified, all  profilable  settings  are  re‐
       ported).

       The  profiles  are  stored  in  _/etc/lvm/profile_  directory by default.  This location can be
       changed by using the **config/profile_dir **setting.  Each profile  configuration  is  stored  in
       **ProfileName.profile **file in the profile directory. When referencing the profile, the **.profile**
       suffix is left out.

### tag config
              See **tags **configuration setting description below.

       When several configuration methods are used at the same time and when LVM looks for the value
       of a particular setting, it traverses this **config cascade **from left to right:

       **direct  config  override on command line **→ **command profile config **→ **metadata profile config **→
       **tag config **→ **lvmlocal.conf **→ **lvm.conf**

       No part of this cascade is compulsory. If there's no setting value found at the  end  of  the
       cascade,  a default value is used for that setting.  Use **lvmconfig **to check what settings are
       in use and what the default values are.

## SYNTAX
       This section describes the configuration file syntax.

       Whitespace is not significant unless it is within quotes.  This provides a wide choice of ac‐
       ceptable indentation styles.  Comments begin with # and continue to  the  end  of  the  line.
       They are treated as whitespace.

       Here is an informal grammar:

       **file **= **value***
              A configuration file consists of a set of values.

       **value **= **section **| **assignment**
              A value can either be a new section, or an assignment.

       **section **= **identifier **'**{**' **value*** '**}**'
              A section groups associated values together. If the same section is encountered multi‐
              ple times, the contents of all instances are concatenated together in the order of ap‐
              pearance.
              It is denoted by a name and delimited by curly brackets.
              e.g. backup {
                        ...
                   }

       **assignment **= **identifier **'**=**' ( **array **| **type **)
              An assignment associates a type with an identifier. If the identifier contains forward
              slashes,  those  are interpreted as path delimiters. The statement **section/key = value**
              is equivalent to **section { key = value }**. If multiple instances of the  same  key  are
              encountered, only the last value is used (and a warning is issued).
              e.g. **level = 7**

       **array **=  '**[**' ( **type **'**,**')* **type **'**]**' | '**[**' '**]**'
              Inhomogeneous arrays are supported.
              Elements must be separated by commas.
              An empty array is acceptable.

       **type **= **integer**|**float**|**string**
              **integer **= [**0**-**9**]*
              **float **= [**0**-**9**]*'**.**'[**0**-**9**]*
              **string **= '**"**' .* '**"**'

              Strings  with spaces must be enclosed in double quotes, single words that start with a
              letter can be left unquoted.

## SETTINGS
       The **lvmconfig **command prints the LVM configuration settings in various  ways.   See  the  man
       page [**lvmconfig**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/lvmconfig/8/markdown).

       Command to print a list of all possible config settings, with their default values:
### lvmconfig --type default

       Command  to  print  a  list of all possible config settings, with their default values, and a
       full description of each as a comment:
### lvmconfig --type default --withcomments

       Command to print a list of all possible config settings, with their current  values  (config‐
       ured, non-default values are shown):
### lvmconfig --type current

       Command  to  print  all config settings that have been configured with a different value than
       the default (configured, non-default values are shown):
### lvmconfig --type diff

       Command to print a single config setting, with its default value,  and  a  full  description,
       where  "Section"  refers to the config section, e.g. global, and "Setting" refers to the name
       of the specific setting, e.g. umask:
### lvmconfig --type default --withcomments Section/Setting

## FILES
       _/etc/lvm/lvm.conf_
       _/etc/lvm/lvmlocal.conf_
       _/etc/lvm/archive_
       _/etc/lvm/backup_
       _/etc/lvm/cache/.cache_
       _/etc/lvm/profile_
       _/run/lock/lvm_

## SEE ALSO
       [**lvm**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/lvm/8/markdown), [**lvmconfig**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/lvmconfig/8/markdown)

Red Hat, Inc.                     LVM TOOLS [2.03.16(2)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/2.03.16/2/markdown) (2022-05-18)                      [_LVM.CONF_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LVM.CONF/5/markdown)