format(1M)
NAME
format - disk partitioning and maintenance utility
SYNOPSIS
format [-f command-file] [-l log-file] [-x data-file] [-
d disk-name] [-t disk-type] [-p partition-name] [-s] [-m]
[-M] [-e] [disk-list]
DESCRIPTION
format enables you to format, label, repair and analyze
disks on your system. Unlike previous disk maintenance pro-
grams, format runs under SunOS. Because there are limita-
tions to what can be done to the system disk while the sys-
tem is running, format is also supported within the memory-
resident system environment. For most applications, however,
running format under SunOS is the more convenient approach.
format first uses the disk list defined in data-file if the
-x option is used. format then checks for the FORMAT_PATH
environment variable, a colon-separated list of filenames
and/or directories. In the case of a directory, format
searches for a file named format.dat in that directory; a
filename should be an absolute pathname, and is used without
change. format adds all disk and partition definitions in
each specified file to the working set. Multiple identical
definitions are silently ignored. If FORMAT_PATH is not set,
the path defaults to /etc/format.dat.
disk-list is a list of disks in the form c?t?d? or
/dev/rdsk/c?t?d?s?. With the latter form, shell wildcard
specifications are supported. For example, specifying
/dev/rdsk/c2* causes format to work on all drives connected
to controller c2 only. If no disk-list is specified, format
lists all the disks present in the system that can be admin-
istered by format.
Removable media devices are listed only when users execute
format in expert mode (option -e). This feature is provided
for backward compatibility. Use rmformat(1) for rewritable
removable media devices.
OPTIONS
The following options are supported:
-d disk-name
Specify which disk should be made current upon entry
into the program. The disk is specified by its logical
name (for instance, -d c0t1d0). This can also be
accomplished by specifying a single disk in the disk
list.
-e Enable SCSI expert menu. Note this option is not
recommended for casual use.
-f command-file
Take command input from command-file rather than the
standard input. The file must contain commands that
appear just as they would if they had been entered
from the keyboard. With this option, format does not
issue continue? prompts; there is no need to specify
y(es) or n(o) answers in the command-file. In non-
interactive mode, format does not initially expect the
input of a disk selection number. The user must
specify the current working disk with the -d disk-name
option when format is invoked, or specify disk and the
disk selection number in the command-file.
-l log-file
Log a transcript of the format session to the indi-
cated log-file, including the standard input, the
standard output and the standard error.
-m Enable extended messages. Provides more detailed
information in the event of an error.
-M Enable extended and diagnostic messages. Provides
extensive information on the state of a SCSI device's
mode pages, during formatting.
-p partition-name
Specify the partition table for the disk which is
current upon entry into the program. The table is
specified by its name as defined in the data file.
This option can be used only if a disk is being made
current, and its type is either specified or available
from the disk label.
-s Silent. Suppress all of the standard output. Error
messages are still displayed. This is generally used
in conjunction with the -f option.
-t disk-type
Specify the type of disk which is current upon entry
into the program. A disk's type is specified by name
in the data file. This option can only be used if a
disk is being made current as described above.
-x data-file
Use the list of disks contained in data-file.
USAGE
When you invoke format with no options or with the -e, -l,
-m, -M, or -s options, the program displays a numbered list
of available disks and prompts you to specify a disk by list
number. If the machine has more than 10 disks, press <SPACE>
to see the next screenful of disks.
You can specify a disk by list number even if the disk is
not displayed in the current screenful. For example, if the
current screen shows disks 11-20, you can enter 25 to
specify the twenty-fifth disk on the list. If you enter a
number for a disk that is not currently displayed, format
prompts you to verify your selection. If you enter a number
from the displayed list, format silently accepts your selec-
tion.
After you specify a disk, format displays its main menu.
This menu enables you to perform the following tasks:
analyze
Run read, write, and compare tests.
backup
Search for backup labels.
cache Enable, disable, and query the state of the write
cache and read cache. This menu item only appears when
format is invoked with the -e option, and is only sup-
ported on SCSI devices..
current
Display the device name, the disk geometry, and the
pathname to the disk device.
defect
Retrieve and print defect lists. This option is sup-
ported only on SCSI devices. IDE disks perform
automatic defect management. Upon using the defect
option on an IDE disk, you receive the message:
Controller does not support defect management
or disk supports automatic defect management.
disk Choose the disk that will be used in subsequent opera-
tions (known as the current disk.)
fdisk Run the fdisk(1M) program to create a fdisk partition
for Solaris software (x86 based systems only).
format
Format and verify the current disk. This option is
supported only on SCSI devices. IDE disks are pre-
formatted by the manufacturer. Upon using the format
option on an IDE disk, you receive the message:
Cannot format this drive. Please use your
manufacturer-supplied formatting utility.
inquiry
Display the vendor, product name, and revision level
of the current drive.
label Write a new label to the current disk.
partition
Create and modify slices.
quit Exit the format menu.
repair
Repair a specific block on the disk.
save Save new disk and slice information.
type Select (define) a disk type.
verify
Read and display labels. Print information such as the
number of cylinders, alternate cylinders, heads, sec-
tors, and the partition table.
volname
Label the disk with a new eight character volume name.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
FORMAT_PATH
a colon-separated list of filenames and/or directories
of disk and partition definitions. If a directory is
specified, format searches for the file format.dat in
that directory.
FILES
/etc/format.dat
default data file
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attri-
butes:
____________________________________________________________
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
|_____________________________|_____________________________|
| Availability | SUNWcsu |
|_____________________________|_____________________________|
SEE ALSO
fmthard(1M), prtvtoc(1M), rmformat(1), format.dat(4), attri-
butes(5), sd(7D)
System Administration Guide: Basic Administration
x86 Only
fdisk(1M)
WARNINGS
When the format function is selected to format the Maxtor
207MB disk, the following message displays:
Mode sense page(4) reports rpm value as 0, adjusting it to 3600
This is a drive bug that may also occur with older third
party drives. The above message is not an error; the drive
will still function correctly.
Cylinder 0 contains the partition table (disk label), which
can be overwritten if used in a raw disk partition by third
party software.
format supports writing EFI-compliant disk labels in order
to support disks or LUNs with capacities greater than one
terabyte. However, care should be exercised since many
software components, such as filesystems and volume
managers, are still restricted to capacities of one terabyte
or less. See the System Administration Guide: Basic Adminis-
tration for additional information.
NOTES
format provides a help facility you can use whenever format
is expecting input. You can request help about what informa-
tion is expected by simply entering a question mark (?) and
format prints a brief description of what type of input is
needed. If you enter a ? at the menu prompt, a list of
available commands is displayed.
For SCSI disks, formatting is done with both Primary and
Grown defects list by default. However, if only Primary list
is extracted in defect menu before formatting, formatting
will be done with Primary list only.
Changing the state of the caches is only supported on SCSI
devices, and not all SCSI devices support changing or saving
the state of the caches.
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