

fdformat                     Command                     fdformat




Format a floppy disk

/eettcc/ffddffoorrmmaatt [ _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:

-aa   Print information  on the standard output device during for-
     mat.  As it formats a cylinder,  it will print a line of the
     form

             hd=0 cyl=25

     on your screen.

-ii _n_u_m_b_e_r
     Use number (0 through  7; default, 6) as the interleave fac-
     tor in formatting.

-oo _n_u_m_b_e_r
     Use number  (default, 0) as the skew  factor for sector num-
     bering.

-vv    Verify  formatting  and verify  data  written  with the  -w
     option.

-ww _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 dos builds  a DOS file system on a for-
matted floppy  disk and transfers files to or  from it.  The com-
mand mount mounts a floppy disk containing a file system to allow
access to it  through the COHERENT directory structure.  The com-
mand umount unmounts a floppy disk.

***** Example *****

The following command formats a 2400-block, 5.25-inch floppy disk
in drive 0 (otherwise known known as drive A):


        /etc/fdformat /dev/fha0


The following command  formats a 1440-block, 3.5-inch floppy disk
in drive 1 (otherwise known as drive B):





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fdformat                     Command                     fdformat



        /etc/fdformat /dev/fqa1


***** See Also *****

commands, dos, fd, mkfs, mount, umount

***** Diagnostics *****

When errors  occur on floppy-disk  devices, the driver  prints on
the system console an error message that describes the error.

***** Notes *****

fdformat formats a track  at a time.  fdformat can be interrupted
between tracks, which  may result in a partially formatted floppy
disk.








































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