ffddffoorrmmaatt -- Command

Low-level 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

ffddffoorrmmaatt formats  a floppy disk.  The  given _s_p_e_c_i_a_l should be  the name of
the special file that correspond to the floppy disk drive.

ffddffoorrmmaatt recognizes the following options:

-aa   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.

-ii _n_u_m_b_e_r
     Use _n_u_m_b_e_r (0 through 7) as the interleave factor in formatting.  Note
     that the default interleave is six.

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

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

-ww _f_i_l_e
     Format the floppy  disk and then copy _f_i_l_e to  it track by track.  The
     raw device should be used.

The command mmkkffss builds a COHERENT  file system on a formatted floppy disk.
The command ddoossffoorrmmaatt builds a DOS  file system on a formatted floppy disk.
The command  mmoouunntt mounts a floppy  disk containing a file  system to allow
access to it through  the COHERENT directory structure.  The command uummoouunntt
unmounts a floppy disk.

_E_x_a_m_p_l_e_s
The following command formats a 2880-block (1.44-kilobyte), 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   (/ddeevv/rrffhhaa00)  speeds  up  formatting
noticeably.

_S_e_e _A_l_s_o
ccoommmmaannddss, ddoossffoorrmmaatt, ffdd, mmkkffss, mmoouunntt, uummoouunntt

_D_i_a_g_n_o_s_t_i_c_s
When errors  occur on floppy-disk devices, the driver  prints on the system
console an error message that describes the error.

_N_o_t_e_s
ffddffoorrmmaatt formats  a track at  a time.  ffddffoorrmmaatt can  be interrupted between
tracks, which may result in a partially formatted floppy disk.
