fdformat(1) manual page
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fdformat - format floppy diskette or PCMCIA memory card
fdformat
[ -dDeEfHlLmMUqvx ] [ -b label ] [ -B filename ] [ -t dostype ] [ devname
]
SUNWcsu
fdformat is a utility for formatting
both diskettes and PCMCIA memory cards. All new, blank diskettes or PCMCIA
memory cards must be formatted before they can be used. fdformat formats
and verifies the media, and indicates whether any bad sectors were encountered.
All existing data on the diskette or PCMCIA memory card, if any, is destroyed
by formatting. If no device name is given, fdformat uses the diskette as
a default.
By default, fdformat uses the configured capacity of the drive
to format the diskette. A 3.5 inch high-density drive uses diskettes with
a formatted capacity of 1.44 megabytes. A 5.25 inch high-density drive uses
diskettes with a formatted capacity of 1.2 megabytes. In either case, a density
option does not have to be specified to fdformat. However, a density option
must be specified when using a diskette with a lower capacity than the
drive’s default. Use the -H option to format high-density diskettes (1.44-megabyte
capacity) in an extra-high-density (ED) drive. Use the -D option, the -l option,
or the -L option to format double-density (or "low-density") diskettes (720KB
capacity) in an HD or ED drive. To format medium-density diskettes (1.2-megabyte
capacity), use the -M option with -t nec (this is the same as using the
-m option with -t nec).
Extended density uses double-sided, extended-density
(or extra-high-density) (DS/ED) diskettes. Medium and high densities use the
same media: double-sided, high-density (DS/HD) diskettes. Double ("low")
density uses double-sided, double-density (DS/DD) diskettes. Substituting
diskettes of one density for diskettes of either a higher or lower density
generally will not work. Data integrity cannot be assured whenever a diskette
is formatted to a capacity not matching its density.
A PCMCIA memory card
with densities from 512 KBytes to 64 MBytes may be formatted.
fdformat
writes new identification and data fields for each sector on all tracks
unless the -x option is specified. For diskettes, if the -v option is
specified, each sector is verified.
After formatting and verifying, fdformat
writes an operating-system label on block 0. Use the -t dos option (same
as the -d option) to put an MS-DOS
file system on the diskette or PCMCIA
memory card after the format is done. Use the -t nec option with the -M option
(same as the -m option) to put an NEC-DOS
file system on a diskette. Otherwise,
fdformat writes a SunOS
label in block 0.
- -D
- Format a 720KB (3.5
inch) or 360KB (5.25 inch) double-density diskette (same as the -l or -L options).
This is the default for double-density type drives. It is needed if the drive
is a high- or extended-density type.
- -e
- Eject the diskette when done. (This
feature is not available on all systems).
- -E
- Format a 2.88-megabyte (3.5 inch)
extended-density diskette. This is the default for extended-density type drives.
- -f
- Force. Do not ask for confirmation before starting format.
- -H
- Format a 1.44-megabyte
(3.5 inch) or 1.2-megabyte (5.25 inch) high-density diskette. This is the default
for high-density type drives; it is needed if the drive is the extended-density
type.
- -M
- Write a 1.2-megabyte (3.5 inch) medium-density format on a high-density
diskette (use only with the -t nec option). This is the same as using -m. (This
feature is not available on all systems.)
- -U
- umount any file systems and
then format.
- -q
- Quiet; do not print status messages.
- -v
- Verify each block of
the diskette after the format.
- -x
- Skip the format, and only write a SunOS
label or an MS-DOS
file system.
- -b label
- Label the media with volume label.
A SunOS volume label is restricted to 8 characters. A DOS
volume label
is restricted to 11 upper-case characters.
- -B filename
- Install special boot
loader in filename on an MS-DOS
diskette. This option is only meaningful
when the -d option (or -t dos) is also specified.
- -t dos
- Install an MS-DOS
file system and boot sector formatting. This is equivalent to the DOS
format command or the -d option.
- -t nec
- Install an NEC-DOS
file system and
boot sector on the disk after formatting. This should be used only with
the -M option. (This feature is not available on all systems).
- devname
- Replace
devname with rdiskette0 (systems without Volume Management) or floppy0
(systems with Volume Management) to use the first drive or rdiskette1 (systems
without Volume Management) or floppy1 (systems with Volume Management)
to use the second drive. If devname is omitted, the first drive, if one
exists, will be used.
- For PCMCIA memory cards, replace
- devname with the
device name for the PCMCIA memory card which resides in /dev/rdsk/cNtNdNsN
or /dev/dsk/cNtNdNsN.
- If
- devname is omitted, the default diskette drive,
if one exists, will be used.
- N
- represents a decimal number and can be specified
as follows:
- cN
- Controller N
- tN
- Technology type N:
0x1 ROM
0x2 OTPROM
0x3 EPROM
0x4 EEPROM
0x5 FLASH
0x6 SRAM
0x7 DRAM
- dN
- Technology region in type N
- sN
Slice N
The following options are provided
for compatibility with previous versions of fdformat; their use is discouraged.
- -d
- Format an MS-DOS
floppy diskette or PCMCIA memory card. (same as -t dos).
This is equivalent to the MS-DOS
FORMAT
command.
- -l
- Format a 720KB (3.5 inch)
or 360KB (5.25 inch) double-density diskette (same as -D or -L). This is the
default for double-density type drives; it is needed if the drive is the
high- or extended-density type.
- -L
- Format a 720KB (3.5 inch) or 360KB (5.25 inch)
double-density diskette (same as -l or -D). This is the default for double-density
type drives; it is needed if the drive is the high- or extended-density type.
- -m
- Write a 1.2-megabyte (3.5 inch) medium-density format on a high-density diskette
(use only with the -t nec option). This is the same as using -M. (This feature
is not available on all systems.)
- /vol/dev/diskette0
- Directory providing
block device access for the media in floppy drive 0.
- /vol/dev/rdiskette0
- Directory providing character device access for the media in floppy drive
0.
- /vol/dev/aliases/floppy0
- Symbolic link to the character device for the
media in floppy drive 0.
- /dev/rdiskette
- Directory providing character device
access for the media in the primary floppy drive, usually drive 0.
- /vol/dev/dsk/cNtNdNsN
- Directory providing block device access for the PCMCIA memory card.
- /vol/dev/rdsk/cNtNdNsN
- Directory providing character device access for
the PCMCIA memory card.
- /vol/dev/aliases/pcmemS
- Symbolic link to the character
device for the PCMCIA memory card in socket S where S represents a PCMCIA
socket number.
- /dev/rdsk/cNtNdNsN
- Directory providing character device
access for the PCMCIA memory card.
- /dev/dsk/cNtNdNsN
- Directory providing
block device access for the PCMCIA memory card.
Note: See devname section
above for a description of the values for N.
cpio(1)
, eject(1)
, tar(1)
, volcancel(1)
, volcheck(1)
, volmissing(1)
,
mount(1M)
, newfs(1M)
, rmmount(1M)
, vold(1M)
, rmmount.conf(4)
, vold.conf(4)
,
pcfs(7FS)
, volfs(7FS)
fd(7D)
A diskette or PCMCIA
memory card containing a ufs file system created on a SPARC system (by
using fdformat and newfs(1M)
) is not identical to a diskette or PCMCIA
memory card containing a ufs file system created on an x86 or PowerPC
system. Do not interchange ufs diskettes or memory cards between these
platforms; use cpio(1)
or tar(1)
to transfer files on diskettes or memory
cards between them.
A diskette or PCMCIA memory card formatted using the
-t dos option (or -d) for MS-DOS
will not have the necessary system files,
and is therefore not bootable. Trying to boot from it on a PC
will result
in the following message:
- Non-System disk or disk error
Replace and strike any key when ready
Currently, bad sector mapping
is not supported on floppy diskettes or PCMCIA memory cards. Therefore,
a diskette or memory cards is unusable if fdformat finds an error (bad
sector).
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