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FORMAT(1)							     FORMAT(1)

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 formats 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 device, a size
       must be specified when using an automatic device.

OPTIONS
       -v     Verify the process by reading each track	after  formatting  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 standard error when verify‐
       ing.  The exit code is zero unless there are too many bad spots.

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

								     FORMAT(1)

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