Linux blkid Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to blkid on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including block device identification, UUID lookup, and filesystem information.

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Table of Contents

1. Understanding blkid
2. blkid Basics
3. Device Information
4. UUID and Labels
5. Troubleshooting

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Understanding blkid

What is blkid?

blkid prints block device attributes.

Uses:

• Device info: Get block device information
• UUID lookup: Find device UUIDs
• Filesystem info: Get filesystem details
• Device identification: Identify devices

Why it matters:

• Device identification: Identify devices
• UUID lookup: Find UUIDs for fstab
• Filesystem info: Get filesystem details

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blkid Basics

List All Devices

Basic usage:

# List all block devices
sudo blkid

# Shows all devices with info

Specific Device

Device info:

# Specific device
sudo blkid /dev/sda1

# Shows device information

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Device Information

UUID Only

Get UUID:

# UUID only
sudo blkid -s UUID /dev/sda1

# -s = show (specific field)

Label Only

Get label:

# Label only
sudo blkid -s LABEL /dev/sda1

# Shows filesystem label

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UUID and Labels

All Fields

Complete info:

# All information
sudo blkid /dev/sda1

# Shows:
# UUID, LABEL, TYPE, PARTUUID, etc.

Export Format

Script-friendly:

# Export format
sudo blkid -p /dev/sda1

# -p = probe (re-reads device)

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Troubleshooting

blkid Not Found

Check installation:

# Check blkid
which blkid

# Usually in util-linux
# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S util-linux

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Summary

This guide covered blkid usage, device identification, and filesystem information for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• lsblk Guide - List block devices
• mount Guide - Mounting devices
• Filesystem Management - Filesystem setup
• blkid Documentation: man blkid

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.