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usr.sbin/fdformat/fdformat.8
.\" Copyright (C) 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001 by Joerg Wunsch, Dresden | |||||
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.\" | |||||
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.\" $FreeBSD$ | |||||
.\" | |||||
.Dd December 4, 2017 | |||||
.Dt FDFORMAT 8 | |||||
.Os | |||||
.Sh NAME | |||||
.Nm fdformat | |||||
.Nd format floppy disks | |||||
.Sh SYNOPSIS | |||||
.Nm | |||||
.Op Fl F Ar fill | |||||
.Op Fl f Ar fmt | |||||
.Op Fl s Ar fmtstr | |||||
.Op Fl nqvy | |||||
.Ar device | |||||
.Sh DESCRIPTION | |||||
The | |||||
.Nm | |||||
utility formats a floppy disk at | |||||
.Ar device , | |||||
where | |||||
.Ar device | |||||
may either be given as a full path | |||||
name of a device node for a floppy disk drive | |||||
(e.g.\& | |||||
.Pa /dev/fd0 ) , | |||||
or using an abbreviated name that will be looked up | |||||
under | |||||
.Pa /dev | |||||
(e.g.\& | |||||
.Dq Li fd0 ) . | |||||
.Pp | |||||
The options are as follows: | |||||
.Bl -tag -width ".Fl s Ar fmtstr" | |||||
.It Fl F Ar fill | |||||
Use | |||||
.Ar fill | |||||
as the fill byte for newly formatted sectors. | |||||
The | |||||
.Ar fill | |||||
argument | |||||
must be a number in the range 0 through 255 using common C | |||||
language notation. | |||||
The default value is | |||||
.Dq Li 0xf6 . | |||||
.It Fl f Ar fmt | |||||
Specify the density settings for a | |||||
.Ar fmt | |||||
kilobyte format, as described in | |||||
.Xr fdcontrol 8 . | |||||
.It Fl s Ar fmtstr | |||||
Specify the density settings using explicit parameters, as | |||||
described in | |||||
.Xr fdcontrol 8 . | |||||
.It Fl n | |||||
Do not verify floppy after formatting. | |||||
.It Fl q | |||||
Suppress any normal output from the command, and do not ask the | |||||
user for a confirmation whether to format the floppy disk at | |||||
.Ar device . | |||||
.It Fl v | |||||
Do not format, verify only. | |||||
.It Fl y | |||||
Do not ask for confirmation whether to format the floppy disk but | |||||
still report formatting status. | |||||
.El | |||||
.Pp | |||||
For non-autoselecting subdevices, neither | |||||
.Fl f Ar fmt | |||||
nor | |||||
.Fl s Ar fmtstr | |||||
may be specified, since the preconfigured media density settings | |||||
from the kernel driver will always be used. | |||||
However, if | |||||
.Ar device | |||||
is a device with automatic media density selection (see | |||||
.Xr fdc 4 ) , | |||||
both methods can be used to override the density settings for the | |||||
newly formatted medium (without permanently changing the density | |||||
settings of | |||||
.Ar device ) . | |||||
.Pp | |||||
If the | |||||
.Fl q | |||||
flag has not been specified, the user is asked for a confirmation | |||||
of the intended formatting process. | |||||
In order to continue, an answer | |||||
of | |||||
.Ql y | |||||
must be given. | |||||
.Pp | |||||
Note that | |||||
.Nm | |||||
does only perform low-level formatting. | |||||
In order to create | |||||
a file system on the medium, see the commands | |||||
.Xr newfs 8 | |||||
for a | |||||
.Tn UFS | |||||
file system, or | |||||
.Xr newfs_msdos 8 | |||||
for an | |||||
.Tn MS-DOS | |||||
(FAT) | |||||
file system. | |||||
.Sh EXIT STATUS | |||||
An exit status of 0 is returned upon successful operation. | |||||
Exit status | |||||
1 is returned on any errors during floppy formatting, and an exit status | |||||
of 2 reflects invalid arguments given to the program (along with an | |||||
appropriate information written to diagnostic output). | |||||
.Sh DIAGNOSTICS | |||||
Unless | |||||
.Fl q | |||||
has been specified, a single letter is printed to standard output | |||||
to inform the user about the progress of work. | |||||
First, an | |||||
.Ql F | |||||
is printed when the track is being formatted, then a | |||||
.Ql V | |||||
while it is being verified, and if an error has been detected, it | |||||
will finally change to | |||||
.Ql E . | |||||
Detailed status information (cylinder, head and sector number, and the | |||||
exact cause of the error) will be printed for up to 10 errors after the | |||||
entire formatting process has completed. | |||||
.Sh SEE ALSO | |||||
.Xr fdc 4 , | |||||
.Xr fdcontrol 8 , | |||||
.Xr newfs 8 , | |||||
.Xr newfs_msdos 8 | |||||
.Sh HISTORY | |||||
The | |||||
.Nm | |||||
utility | |||||
has been developed for | |||||
.Bx 386 0.1 | |||||
and upgraded to the new | |||||
.Xr fdc 4 | |||||
floppy disk driver. | |||||
It later became part of the | |||||
.Fx 1.1 | |||||
system. | |||||
Starting with | |||||
.Fx 5.0 , | |||||
it uses the unified density specifications as described in | |||||
.Xr fdcontrol 8 . | |||||
.Sh AUTHORS | |||||
.An -nosplit | |||||
The program has been contributed by | |||||
.An J\(:org Wunsch , | |||||
Dresden, with changes by | |||||
.An Serge Vakulenko | |||||
and | |||||
.An Andrey A. Chernov , | |||||
Moscow. |