mformat(1) mtools-3.9.1 (10Jun98) mformat(1)
Name
mformat - add an MSDOS filesystem to a low-level formatted
floppy disk
Note
This manpage has been automatically generated from mtools's
texinfo documentation. However, this process is only
approximative, and some items, such as crossreferences,
footnotes and indices are lost in this translation process.
Indeed, this items have no appropriate representation in the
manpage format. Moreover, only the items specific to each
command have been translated, and the general information
about mtools has been dropped in the manpage version. Thus
I strongly advise you to use the original texinfo doc.
* To generate a printable copy from the texinfo doc, run
the following commands:
./configure; make dvi; dvips mtools.dvi
* To generate a html copy, run:
./configure; make html
A premade html can be found at:
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* To generate an info copy (browsable using emacs' info
mode), run:
./configure; make info
The texinfo doc looks most pretty when printed or as html.
Indeed, in the info version certain examples are difficult
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Description
The mformat command is used to add an MS-DOS filesystem to a
low-level formatted diskette. Its syntax is:
mformat [-t cylinders] [-h heads] [-s sectors] [-l
volume_label] [-F] [-I fsVersion] [-S sizecode] [-2
sectors_on_track_0] [-M software_sector_size] [-a] [-X] [-C]
[-H hidden_sectors] [-r root_sectors] [-B boot_sector] [-0
rate_on_track_0] [-A rate_on_other_tracks] [-1] [-k] drive:
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mformat(1) mtools-3.9.1 (10Jun98) mformat(1)
Mformat adds a minimal MS-DOS filesystem (boot sector, FAT,
and root directory) to a diskette that has already been
formatted by a Unix low-level format.
The following options are supported: (The S, 2, 1 and M
options may not exist if this copy of mtools has been
compiled without the USE_2M option)
Options
t The number of cylinders.
h The number of heads (sides).
s The number of sectors per track. If the 2m option is
given, number of 512-byte sector equivalents on generic
tracks (i.e. not head 0 track 0). If the 2m option is
not given, number of physical sectors per track (which
may be bigger than 512 bytes).
l An optional volume label.
S The sizecode. The size of the sector is 2 ^ (sizecode +
7).
2 2m format. The parameter to this option describes the
number of sectors on track 0, head 0. This option is
recommended for sectors bigger than normal.
1 don't use a 2m format, even if the current geometry of
the disk is a 2m geometry.
M software sector size. This parameter describes the
sector size in bytes used by the MS-DOS filesystem. By
default it is the physical sector size.
a If this option is given, an Atari style serial number
is generated. Ataris store their serial number in the
OEM label.
X formats the disk as an XDF disk. See section XDF for
more details. The disk has first to be low-level
formatted using the xdfcopy utility included in the
fdutils package.
C creates the disk image file to install the MS-DOS
filesystem on it. Obviously, this is useless on
physical devices such as floppies and hard disk
partitions.
H number of hidden sectors. This parameter is useful for
formatting hard disk partition, which are not aligned
on track boundaries (i.e. first head of first track
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mformat(1) mtools-3.9.1 (10Jun98) mformat(1)
doesn't belong to the partition, but contains a
partition table). In that case the number of hidden
sectors is in general the number of sectors per
cylinder. This is untested.
n serial number
F Format the partition as FAT32 (experimental).
I Sets the fsVersion id when formatting a FAT32 drive.
In order to find this out, run minfo on an existing
FAT32 drive, and mail me about it, so I can include the
correct value in future versions of mtools.
c Sets the size of a cluster (in sectors). If this
cluster size would generate a FAT that too big for its
number of bits, mtools automatically increases the
cluster size, until the FAT is small enough.
r Sets the size of the root directory (in sectors). Only
applicable to 12 and 16 bit FATs.
B Use the bootsector stored in the given file or device,
instead of using its own. Only the geometry fields are
updated to match the target disks parameters.
k Keep the existing boot sector as much as possible.
Only the geometry fields are updated to match the
target disks parameters.
0 Data transfer rate on track 0
A Data transfer rate on tracks other than 0
To format a diskette at a density other than the default,
you must supply (at least) those command line parameters
that are different from the default.
Mformat returns 0 on success or 1 on failure.
It doesn't record bad block information to the Fat, use
mkmanifest for that.
See Also
Mtools' texinfo doc
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