NAME

     format - format a PC floppy diskette


SYNOPSIS

     format [-v] device [media-size [drive-size]]


DESCRIPTION

     Format allows a user with read-write permission to device to
     format  a  floppy.  Either one of the special floppy devices
     must be used, see fd(4), or an automatic device may be  used
     with  the  size of the floppy specified on the command line.
     Two sizes must  be  given  when  formatting  a  low  density
     diskette in a high density drive.  For example:

          format /dev/at1
          format /dev/fd1 1200
          format /dev/fd1 360 1200

     The first two commands format a 1.2M diskette, the last for-
     mats  a  360k diskette in a 1.2M drive.  A 1.44M drive knows
     when it's dealing with a low density floppy,  so  all  these
     commands format a 720k diskette:

          format /dev/fd0 720
          format /dev/fd0 720 1440
          format /dev/ps0

     No sizes may be specified when using a special  floppy  dev-
     ice,  a  size must be specified when using an automatic dev-
     ice.


OPTIONS

     -v   Verify the process by reading each track after  format-
          ting  it.  Formatting is normally blind, the controller
          has no idea whether it succeeds or not.  Use  -v  on  a
          new  box  of cheap diskettes, or on a diskette that may
          have gone bad.  Verifying will increase formatting time
          by 50%.


SEE ALSO

     mkfs(1), fd(4).


DIAGNOSTICS

     Numbers will be printed on standard output to show  that  it
     is  busy.  The locations of bad sectors are printed on stan-
     dard error when verifying.  The exit  code  is  zero  unless
     there are too many bad spots.


AUTHOR

     Kees J. Bot (kjb@cs.vu.nl)