FDFORMAT(1) User Commands FDFORMAT(1)

NAME

fdformat - format floppy diskette or PCMCIA memory card

SYNOPSIS

fdformat [-dDeEfHlLmMUqvx] [-b label] [-B filename]
[-t dostype] [devname]

DESCRIPTION

The fdformat utility has been superseded by rmformat(1), which
provides most but not all of fdformat's functionality.


fdformat is used to format 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 1.44MB. A 5.25 inch high-density drive
uses diskettes with a formatted capacity of 1.2MB. 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 (1.44MB 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 (1.2MB 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


D) diskettes. Substituting diskettes of one density for diskettes of
either a higher or lower density generally does 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 512KB to 64MB may be
formatted.


fdformat writes new identification and data fields for each sector on
all tracks unless the -x option is specified. For diskettes, each
sector is verified if the -v option is specified.


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.

OPTIONS

The following options are supported:

-b label
Labels 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
Installs 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.


-D
Formats 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
Ejects the diskette when done. This feature is not
available on all systems.


-E
Formats a 2.88MB (3.5 inch) extended-density diskette.
This is the default for extended-density type drives.


-f
Forces formatting, that is, this option does not ask
for confirmation before starting format.


-H
Formats a 1.44MB (3.5 inch) or 1.2MB (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
Writes a 1.2MB (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.


-q
Quiet; does not print status messages.


-t dos
Installs an MS-DOS file system and boot sector
formatting. This is equivalent to the DOS format
command or the -d option.


-t nec
Installs 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.


-U
Performs umount on any file systems and then formats.
See mount(8).


-v
Verifies each block of the diskette after the format.


-x
Skips the format and only writes a SunOS label or an
MS-DOS file system.

OPERANDS

The following operands are supported:

devname
Replaces 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, is 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, is used.

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
Formats an MS-DOS floppy diskette or PCMCIA memory
card (same as -t dos). This is equivalent to the MS-
DOS FORMAT command.


-l
Formats 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
Formats 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.


-m
Writes a 1.2 MB (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.

FILES

/dev/diskette0
Directory providing block device access for
the media in floppy drive 0.


/dev/diskette0
Directory providing character device access
for the media in floppy drive 0.


/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.


/dev/dsk/cNtNdNsN
Directory providing block device access for
the PCMCIA memory card. See OPERANDS for a
description of N.


/dev/rdsk/cNtNdNsN
Directory providing character device access
for the PCMCIA memory card. See OPERANDS for
a description of N.


/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. See OPERANDS for
a description of N.


/dev/dsk/cNtNdNsN
Directory providing block device access for
the PCMCIA memory card. See OPERANDS for a
description of N.

SEE ALSO

cpio(1), eject(1), rmformat(1), tar(1), volcheck(1), volrmmount(1),
pcfs(4FS), attributes(7), mount(8), newfs(8), prtvtoc(8)

x86 Only
fd(4D)

NOTES

A diskette or PCMCIA memory card containing a ufs file system created
on a SPARC based system (by using fdformat and newfs(8)), is not
identical to a diskette or PCMCIA memory card containing a ufs file
system created on an x86 based 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 does not have the necessary system files, and is
therefore not bootable. Trying to boot from it on a PC produces the
following message:

Non-System disk or disk error.
Replace and strike any key when ready

BUGS

Currently, bad sector mapping is not supported on floppy diskettes or
PCMCIA memory cards. Therefore, a diskette or memory card is unusable
if fdformat finds an error (bad sector).

February 28, 2007 FDFORMAT(1)