mtools: mformat
1
1 4.13 Mformat
1 ============
1
1 The `mformat' command is used to add an MS-DOS file system to a
1 low-level formatted diskette. Its syntax is:
1
1 `mformat' [`-t' CYLINDERS|`-T' TOT_SECTORS] [`-h' HEADS] [`-s' SECTORS]
1 [`-f' SIZE] [`-1'] [`-4'] [`-8']
1 [`-v' VOLUME_LABEL]
1 [`-F'] [`-S' SIZECODE]
1 [`-M' SOFTWARE_SECTOR_SIZE]
1 [`-N' SERIAL_NUMBER] [`-a']
1 [`-C'] [`-H' HIDDEN_SECTORS] [`-I' FSVERSION]
1 [`-r' ROOT_SECTORS] [`-L' FAT_LEN]
1 [`-B' BOOT_SECTOR] [`-k']
1 [`-m' MEDIA_DESCRIPTOR]
1 [`-K' BACKUP_BOOT]
1 [`-c' CLUSTERS_PER_SECTOR]
1 [`-d' FAT_COPIES]
1 [`-X'] [`-2' SECTORS_ON_TRACK_0] [`-3']
1 [`-0' RATE_ON_TRACK_0] [`-A' RATE_ON_OTHER_TRACKS]
1 DRIVE:
1
1 `Mformat' adds a minimal MS-DOS file system (boot sector, FAT, and
1 root directory) to a diskette that has already been formatted by a Unix
1 low-level format.
1
1 The following options are supported: (The S, 2, 1 and M options may
1 not exist if this copy of mtools has been compiled without the USE_2M
1 option)
1
1 The following options are the same as for MS-DOS's format command:
1
1 `v'
1 Specifies the volume label. A volume label identifies the disk and
1 can be a maximum of 11 characters. If you omit the -v switch,
1 mformat will assign no label to the disk.
1
1 `f'
1 Specifies the size of the DOS file system to format. Only a certain
1 number of predefined sizes are supported by this flag; for others
1 use the -h/-t/-s flags. The following sizes are supported:
1 160
1 160K, single-sided, 8 sectors per track, 40 cylinders (for 5
1 1/4 DD)
1
1 180
1 160K, single-sided, 9 sectors per track, 40 cylinders (for 5
1 1/4 DD)
1
1 320
1 320K, double-sided, 8 sectors per track, 40 cylinders (for 5
1 1/4 DD)
1
1 360
1 360K, double-sided, 9 sectors per track, 40 cylinders (for 5
1 1/4 DD)
1
1 720
1 720K, double-sided, 9 sectors per track, 80 cylinders (for 3
1 1/2 DD)
1
1 1200
1 1200K, double-sided, 15 sectors per track, 80 cylinders (for
1 5 1/4 HD)
1
1 1440
1 1440K, double-sided, 18 sectors per track, 80 cylinders (for
1 3 1/2 HD)
1
1 2880
1 2880K, double-sided, 36 sectors per track, 80 cylinders (for
1 3 1/2 ED)
1
1 `t'
1 Specifies the number of tracks on the disk.
1
1 `T'
1 Specifies the number of total sectors on the disk. Only one of
1 these 2 options may be specified (tracks or total sectors)
1
1 `h'
1 The number of heads (sides).
1
1 `s'
1 Specifies the number of sectors per track. If the 2m option is
1 given, number of 512-byte sector equivalents on generic tracks
1 (i.e. not head 0 track 0). If the 2m option is not given, number
1 of physical sectors per track (which may be bigger than 512 bytes).
1
1 `1'
1 Formats a single side (equivalent to -h 1)
1
1 `4'
1 Formats a 360K double-sided disk (equivalent to -f 360). When used
1 together with -the 1 switch, this switch formats a 180K disk
1
1 `8'
1 Formats a disk with 8 sectors per track.
1
1
1 MS-DOS format's `q', `u' and `b' options are not supported, and `s'
1 has a different meaning.
1
1 The following options are specific to mtools:
1
1 `F'
1 Format the partition as FAT32.
1
1 `S'
1 The size code. The size of the sector is 2 ^ (sizecode + 7).
1
1 `X'
1 formats the disk as an XDF disk. ⇒XDF, for more details.
1 The disk has first to be low-level formatted using the xdfcopy
1 utility included in the fdutils package. XDF disks are used for
1 instance for OS/2 install disks.
1
1 `2'
1 2m format. The parameter to this option describes the number of
1 sectors on track 0, head 0. This option is recommended for sectors
1 bigger than normal.
1
1 `3'
1 don't use a 2m format, even if the current geometry of the disk is
1 a 2m geometry.
1
1 `0'
1 Data transfer rate on track 0
1
1 `A'
1 Data transfer rate on tracks other than 0
1
1 `M'
1 software sector size. This parameter describes the sector size in
1 bytes used by the MS-DOS file system. By default it is the
1 physical sector size.
1
1 `N'
1 Uses the requested serial number, instead of generating one
1 automatically
1
1 `a'
1 If this option is given, an Atari style serial number is generated.
1 Ataris store their serial number in the OEM label.
1
1 `C'
1 creates the disk image file to install the MS-DOS file system on
1 it. Obviously, this is useless on physical devices such as floppies
1 and hard disk partitions, but is interesting for image files.
1
1 `H'
1 number of hidden sectors. This parameter is useful for formatting
1 hard disk partition, which are not aligned on track boundaries
1 (i.e. first head of first track doesn't belong to the partition,
1 but contains a partition table). In that case the number of hidden
1 sectors is in general the number of sectors per cylinder. This is
1 untested.
1
1 `I'
1 Sets the fsVersion id when formatting a FAT32 drive. In order to
1 find this out, run minfo on an existing FAT32 drive, and mail me
1 about it, so I can include the correct value in future versions of
1 mtools.
1
1 `c'
1 Sets the size of a cluster (in sectors). If this cluster size
1 would generate a FAT that too big for its number of bits, mtools
1 automatically increases the cluster size, until the FAT is small
1 enough.
1
1 `d'
1 Sets the number of FAT copies. Default is 2. This setting can also
1 be specified using the `MTOOLS_NFATS' environment variable.
1
1 `r'
1 Sets the size of the root directory (in sectors). Only applicable
1 to 12 and 16 bit FATs. This setting can also be specified using the
1 `MTOOLS_DIR_LEN' environment variable.
1
1 `L'
1 Sets the length of the FAT.
1
1 `B'
1 Use the boot sector stored in the given file or device, instead of
1 using its own. Only the geometry fields are updated to match the
1 target disks parameters.
1
1 `k'
1 Keep the existing boot sector as much as possible. Only the
1 geometry fields and other similar file system data are updated to
1 match the target disks parameters.
1
1 `K'
1 Sets the sector number where the backup of the boot sector should
1 be stored (only relevant on FAT32).
1
1 `m'
1 Use a non-standard media descriptor byte for this disk. The media
1 descriptor is stored at position 21 of the boot sector, and as
1 first byte in each FAT copy. Using this option may confuse DOS or
1 older mtools version, and may make the disk unreadable. Only use
1 if you know what you are doing.
1
1
1 To format a diskette at a density other than the default, you must
1 supply (at least) those command line parameters that are different from
1 the default.
1
1 `Mformat' returns 0 on success or 1 on failure.
1
1 It doesn't record bad block information to the Fat, use `mbadblocks'
1 for that.
1