Which command is traditionally used to create an initial RAM disk?

The command traditionally used to create an initial RAM disk is mkinitrd. This command generates an initial RAM disk image that is utilized during the boot process of a Linux system. The initial RAM disk contains necessary drivers and essential files required to mount the root filesystem and to provide the needed support for hardware devices before the system transitions to the regular filesystem.

The mkinitrd command has been widely adopted, particularly in older distributions and setups. It is specifically designed to create an initrd (initial RAM disk) file, which is critical for booting Linux systems, especially those that need modules or drivers that are not built directly into the kernel.

While other commands mentioned, such as dracut, serve similar purposes and may be used in more modern contexts, mkinitrd is the historically recognized command for this task. The presence of options like initrd-create or mkramdisk does not reflect standard usage in mainstream distributions, making mkinitrd the correct choice for creating an initial RAM disk in a traditional context.