dosformat(1) dosformat(1)
NAME
dosformat - format an MS-DOS floppy disk
SYNOPSIS
dosformat [option ...] specialfile
DESCRIPTION
dosformat formats a floppy disk for computers running the MS-DOS
operating system. The various types of formats are described below.
OPTIONS
No option specified:
dosformat formats the floppy disk in the format defined by
specialfile.
-f Suppresses the query as to whether there is a floppy disk in the
drive and begins formatting immediately.
-q Suppresses information normally displayed on the screen during
the formatting process. The query as to whether there is a floppy
in the drive is not suppressed.
-v dosformat prompts for a volume label to identify the floppy disk
more precisely. A volume label can have a maximum of 11 charac-
ters. Volume labels are displayed by the dosdir(1) command.
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dosformat(1) dosformat(1)
specialfile
Here you must specify one of the special file names listed in the
table below. This file determines the format of the floppy disk.
The following floppy disk formats (3½" only) can be generated:
___________________________________________________________________________
|Tracks | Sectors | Gross storage | Net storage | Special file name |
| | | capacity | capacity | to be specified |
| | | in KB | in KB | when formatting |
|________|__________|_________________|______________|____________________|
| 80 | 9 | 720 | 713 | [r]sfdisk???f3dt |
| | | | | [r]fx3dt |
|________|__________|_________________|______________|____________________|
| 80 | 18 | 1440 | 1423.5 | [r]sfdisk???f3ht |
| | | | | [r]fx3ht |
|________|__________|_________________|______________|____________________|
| 80 | 36 | 2880 | 2846 | [r]sfdisk???f3et |
|________|__________|_________________|______________|____________________|
| | | | | [r]sfdisk???ft |
| | | | | (dynamic floppy |
| | | | | recognition) |
|________|__________|_________________|______________|____________________|
Caution: The pathnames of device files vary depending on Reliant
UNIX versions:
Reliant UNIX RM600
/dev/ios?, e.g. /dev/ios?/[r]sfdisk???f3dt
Reliant UNIX RM400
/dev/at/flp, e.g. /dev/at/flp/[r]fx3dt
When formatting with the autodetection device, the format depends on
the physical properties of the floppy disk.
You cannot format, read, or write to single-sided floppy disks.
The net storage capacity indicates the storage area of the floppy disk
that can actually be used. The remaining capacity contains administra-
tive information about the floppy. As files are always stored on a
floppy in blocks of 512 bytes or 1 KB or 2 KB (depending on the for-
mat), the net storage capacity can lie considerably below those values
shown in the table if a large number of small files are copied.
Floppy disks formatted in this way can be processed with the DOS com-
mands on a Reliant UNIX computer and can be used on MS-DOS computers.
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dosformat(1) dosformat(1)
Caution: The dosformat command does not check whether there is already
data on the floppy disk. Any files already stored there will
be overwritten when the floppy is formatted.
ED floppy disks can be formatted on ED, HD and DD. HD floppy
disks can be formatted on HD and DD. DD floppy disks can only
be formatted on DD. If the autodetector device is used, the
floppy disk is formatted according to its physical format.
Note:
MS DOS cannot read wrongly formatted floppy disks. It is
therefore possible, for example, that an ED floppy disk for-
matted on HD cannot be recognized (because of missing floppy
disk indicators).
LOCALE
The LCMESSAGES environment variable governs the language in which
message texts are displayed. If LCMESSAGES is undefined or is defined
as the null string, it defaults to the value of LANG. If LANG is like-
wise undefined or null, the system acts as if it were not internation-
alized.
The LCALL environment variable governs the entire locale. LCALL
takes precedence over all the other environment variables which affect
internationalization.
EXAMPLES
The following command formats a 3½" floppy disk in the first disk
drive to 80 tracks and 18 sectors per track. The formatted storage
capacity of the floppy disk will be 1440 KB.
dosformat /dev/ios0/rsfdisk000f3ht (for an RM600)
dosformat /dev/at/flp/rfx3ht (for an RM400)
SEE ALSO
dosdir(1), gettypes(1).
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