SCSIFMT(8)              COMMAND REFERENCE              SCSIFMT(8)



NAME
     scsifmt - format and partition a disk

SYNOPSIS
     /etc/scsifmt [ special ]

DESCRIPTION
          WARNING:   formatting a disk will destroy all data on
          it.

     Scsifmt formats and partitions a hard disk; it can also
     format a floppy disk.

     Special is the whole disk  ( p )  partition of the disk
     being formatted.  If  special  is not given on the command
     line, or if an invalid special file is provided, scsifmt
     prompts the user for a correct special file.

     Formatting a disk involves writing special information on
     the surfaces that is not changed in normal operation.  All
     UTek disks are soft sectored, meaning that the formatting
     operation determines many of the physical characteristics of
     the drive.  Hard drives with embedded SCSI controllers also
     handle defect mapping as part of the formatting process.
     The result of a format operation from a user's perspective
     is a disk free of known defects.

     Partitioning a disk involves allocating cylinders of
     available space to various uses.  UTek imposes a structure
     on the disk (see diskpart(5) and ds(4)) so that it can keep
     track of how the disk is to be used on the disk itself.  The
     most important partitions contain file systems and paging
     space.  Other partitions are for maintenance functions.

     Scsifmt is a menu-oriented program. It was originally
     written when Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) disk
     interfacing was very complex, so a complex set of menus is
     provided.  With the advent of the current generation of hard
     disk drives with embedded SCSI controllers, much of the
     complexity is no longer necessary.

     If a floppy disk is to be formatted, scsifmt asks whether
     you wish to format the diskette as a double-density (360K)
     medium or a high-density (1.2M) medium.  You must use the
     correct type of diskette (check the box label) and choose
     the correct menu option.  Neither scsifmt nor the fs(4)
     driver is able to check your choice for correctness.

     You may sweep the diskette for defects or just format the
     diskette. The sweep operation first formats the diskette, so
     you needn't do both.




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SCSIFMT(8)              COMMAND REFERENCE              SCSIFMT(8)



          NOTE:   If the sweep operation finds a defect, discard
                  the diskette. UTek utilities and drivers aren't
                  able to deal with defects.

     Floppy disks don't have real partitions, so no partitioning
     is necessary.  The entire diskette is the file system  ( a )
     partition.  A whole disk  ( p )  partition is simulated by
     the fs(4) driver for formatting purposes.

     If a hard disk is to be formatted, many more menu selections
     are provided.  Only a few of the many options are important
     to the normal process of formatting a hard disk.  The key
     steps to formatting a hard disk with an embedded SCSI
     controller are listed:

          1.The first menu of scsifmt is SCSI Format Command
            Menu.
            Choose Show layout of disk space.  This shows how
            disk space is currently allocated between paging and
            file system space.  If the values shown are
            acceptable, go to step 5.

          2.You are still looking at the SCSI Format Command
            Menu.
            Choose Change layout of disk space.  Scsifmt will
            tell you how much disk space is available and suggest
            an allocation for paging space.  The primary disk
            must have paging space on it; others may or may not,
            depending on requirements.

          3.Enter the number of megabytes for paging space:
            Remember that space allocated to paging is not
            available for file system use.  A carriage return
            without a number will use the suggested value.

          4.Do you want to use this data?
            Yes, type:  y.

          5.You are back at the  SCSI Format Command Menu.
            Choose  Format disk (destroys current data).  Nothing
            actually happens to the disk until you do this.
            (This will take 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the
            disk.)

          6.You are done.  Choose  Quit the formatting program
            to get out of scsifmt.

     The remaining menu selections are for handling exceptional
     circumstances.

EXAMPLES
     To format a floppy disk,type



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SCSIFMT(8)              COMMAND REFERENCE              SCSIFMT(8)



          /etc/scsifmt /dev/rdfp

     and follow the instructions given earlier in this document.

     To format the first optional hard disk,type

          /etc/scsifmt /dev/rds06p

     and follow the instructions given earlier.

CAVEATS
     Since scsifmt must be run on an otherwise idle disk, it
     can't be used to format or repartition the root file system.
     That must be done by a version of scsifmt that is part of
     the Standalone Utilities.

SEE ALSO
     ds(4), fs(4), and newfs(8).





































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