man pages: note that --auto is largely deprecated and irrelevant.

Signed-off-by: NeilBrown <neilb@suse.de>

3 files changed, 16 insertions, 9 deletions

diff --git a/ReadMe.c b/ReadMe.c
index d0d762e..9ed5d9a 100644
--- a/ReadMe.c
+++ b/ReadMe.c
@@ -271,7 +271,6 @@ char OptionHelp[] =
 "  --size=       -z   : Size (in K) of each drive in RAID1/4/5/6/10 - optional\n"
 "  --force       -f   : Honour devices as listed on command line.  Don't\n"
 "                     : insert a missing drive for RAID5.\n"
-"  --auto(=p)    -a   : Automatically allocate new (partitioned) md array if needed.\n"
 "  --assume-clean     : Assume the array is already in-sync. This is dangerous.\n"
 "  --bitmap-chunk=    : chunksize of bitmap in bitmap file (Kilobytes)\n"
 "  --delay=      -d   : seconds between bitmap updates\n"
@@ -289,7 +288,6 @@ char OptionHelp[] =
 "  --scan        -s   : scan config file for missing information\n"
 "  --force       -f   : Assemble the array even if some superblocks appear out-of-date\n"
 "  --update=     -U   : Update superblock: try '-A --update=?' for list of options.\n"
-"  --auto(=p)    -a   : Automatically allocate new (partitioned) md array if needed.\n"
 "  --no-degraded      : Do not start any degraded arrays - default unless --scan.\n"
 "\n"
 " For detail or examine:\n"
diff --git a/mdadm.8 b/mdadm.8
index 58270fa..4c03c37 100644
--- a/mdadm.8
+++ b/mdadm.8
@@ -625,13 +625,17 @@ initial resync work faster).  With
 will not try to be so clever.
 
 .TP
-.BR \-a ", " "\-\-auto{=no,yes,md,mdp,part,p}{NN}"
-Instruct mdadm to create the device file if needed, possibly allocating
+.BR \-a ", " "\-\-auto{=yes,md,mdp,part,p}{NN}"
+Instruct mdadm how to create the device file if needed, possibly allocating
 an unused minor number.  "md" causes a non-partitionable array
-to be used.  "mdp", "part" or "p" causes a partitionable array (2.6 and
+to be used (though since Linux 2.6.28, these array devices are in fact
+partitionable).  "mdp", "part" or "p" causes a partitionable array (2.6 and
 later) to be used.  "yes" requires the named md device to have
 a 'standard' format, and the type and minor number will be determined
-from this.  See DEVICE NAMES below.
+from this.  With mdadm 3.0, device creation is normally left up to
+.I udev
+so this option is unlikely to be needed.
+See DEVICE NAMES below.
 
 The argument can also come immediately after
 "\-a".  e.g. "\-ap".
diff --git a/mdadm.conf.5 b/mdadm.conf.5
index 7ef1765..87a8c1b 100644
--- a/mdadm.conf.5
+++ b/mdadm.conf.5
@@ -182,10 +182,15 @@ or missing drive but no spare.
 
 .TP
 .B auto=
-This option declares to
+This option is rarely needed with mdadm-3.0, particularly if use with
+the Linux kernel v2.6.28 or later.
+It tells
 .I mdadm
-that it should try to create the device file of the array if it
-doesn't already exist, or exists but with the wrong device number.
+whether to use partitionable array or non-partitionable arrays and,
+in the absence of
+.IR udev ,
+how many partition devices to create.  From 2.6.28 all md array
+devices are partitionable, hence this option is not needed.
 
 The value of this option can be "yes" or "md" to indicate that a
 traditional, non-partitionable md array should be created, or "mdp",