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 ] [ disk-list ]

AVAILABILITY

SUNWcsr

DESCRIPTION

format enables you to format, label, repair and analyze disks on your system.  Unlike previous disk maintenance programs, format runs under SunOS. Because there are limitations to what can be done to the system disk while the system 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∗ will cause 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. 

OPTIONS

−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 indicated log-file, including the standard input, the standard output and the standard error.

−x data-file Use the list of disks contained in data-file.

−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, −c0t1d0).  This can also be accomplished by specifying a single disk in the disk list. 

−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. 

−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 only be used 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. 

−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 an SCSI device’s mode pages, during formatting. 

FILES

/etc/format.dat default data file

SEE ALSO

ipi(7), sd(7), xy(7)

File System Administration

SunOS 5.4  —  Last change: 7 Mar 1994