format(1M)                                                format(1M)


       NAME
             format - format floppy disk tracks

       SYNOPSIS
             /bin/format [-qvVE] [-f first] [-l last] [-i interleave] device[t]

       DESCRIPTION
             The format command formats floppy disks.  Unless otherwise
             specified, formatting starts at track 0 and continues until an
             error is returned at the end of a partition.

          Options
             The -f and -l options specify the first and last track to be
             formatted.  The default interleave of 2 may be modified by
             using the -i option.  device must specify a raw (character)
             floppy device.  The t indicates the entire disk.  Absence of
             this letter indicates that the first track of the diskette
             cannot be accessed.

             -q    Quiet mode. Perform the floppy disk format operation,
                   but do not report status, inquiry, or error messages.

             -v    Verbose mode (always true).

             -V    Verify. After tracks are formatted, a random sector is
                   chosen and a write of test data is done into it. The
                   sector is then read back and a comparison is made.

             -E    exhaustive verify. Every sector is verified by
                   write/read/compare.

          Files
             /dev/rdsk/*     raw device for partition to be formatted

       REFERENCES
             fd(7)












                           Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc.               Page 1