fdformat" -- Command" "
Low-level format a floppy disk
//eettcc//ffddffoorrmmaatt [[ _o_p_t_i_o_n _._._. ]] _s_p_e_c_i_a_l
fdformat formats a floppy disk. The given
special should be the name of the special file that
correspond to the floppy disk drive.
fdformat recognizes the following options:
- --aa
- Print information on the standard output device during
format. As it formats a cylinder, it will print a line of
the form
hd=0 cyl=25
on your screen.
- --ii _n_u_m_b_e_r
- Use number (0 through 7) as the interleave
factor in formatting. Note that the default interleave is
six.
- --oo _n_u_m_b_e_r
- Use number (default, 0) as the skew factor for
sector numbering.
- --vv
- Verify formatting and verify data written with the
-w option.
- --ww _f_i_l_e
- Format the floppy disk and then copy file to
it track by track. The raw device should be used.
The command mkfs builds a COHERENT file
system on a formatted floppy disk. The command
dosformat builds a DOS file system on a
formatted floppy disk. The command mount
mounts a floppy disk containing a file system to allow
access to it through the COHERENT directory structure. The
command umount unmounts a floppy disk.
Examples
The following command formats a 2880-block (1.44-megabyte),
3.5-inch floppy disk in drive 1 (otherwise known as drive
B):
/etc/fdformat -v /dev/rfva1
The following command formats a 2400-block (1.2-megabyte),
5.25-inch floppy disk in drive 0 (otherwise known known as
drive A):
/etc/fdformat -v /dev/rfha0
Note that using the raw device (//ddeevv//rrffhhaa00) speeds up
formatting noticeably.
See Also
Diagnostics
When errors occur on floppy-disk devices the driver prints
on the system console an error message that describes the
error.
A
Notes
fdformat formats a track at a time.
fdformat can be interrupted between tracks,
which may result in a partially formatted floppy disk.