[thirdparty/util-linux.git] / disk-utils / mkfs.8

.\" -*- nroff -*-
.TH MKFS 8 "Jun 1995" "Version 1.9"
.SH NAME
mkfs \- build a Linux file system
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B mkfs
[
.B \-V
]
[
.B \-t
.I fstype
]
[
.B fs-options
]
.I filesys
[
.I blocks
]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B mkfs
is used to build a Linux file system on a device, usually
a hard disk partition.
.I filesys
is either the device name (e.g. /dev/hda1, /dev/sdb2) or
the mount point (e.g. /, /usr, /home) for the file system.
.I blocks
is the number of blocks to be used for the file system.
.PP
The exit code returned by
.B mkfs
is 0 on success and 1 on failure.
.PP
In actuality,
.B mkfs
is simply a front-end for the various file system builders
(\fBmkfs\fR.\fIfstype\fR)
available under Linux.
The file system-specific builder is searched for in a number
of directories like /sbin, /sbin/fs, /sbin/fs.d, /etc/fs, /etc
(the precise list is defined at compile time but at least
contains /sbin and /sbin/fs), and finally in the directories
listed in the PATH enviroment variable.
Please see the file system-specific builder manual pages for
further details.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B -V
Produce verbose output, including all file system-specific commands
that are executed.
Specifying this option more than once inhibits execution of any
file system-specific commands.
This is really only useful for testing.
.TP
.BI -t \ fstype
Specifies the type of file system to be built.
If not specified, the default file system type
(currently ext2) is used.
.TP
.B fs-options
File system-specific options to be passed to the real file 
system builder.
Although not guaranteed, the following options are supported
by most file system builders.
.TP
.B -c
Check the device for bad blocks before building the file system.
.TP
.BI -l \ filename
Read the bad blocks list from
.I filename
.TP
.B -v
Produce verbose output.
.SH BUGS
All generic options must precede and not be combined with
file system-specific options.
Some file system-specific programs do not support the
.I -v
(verbose) option, nor return meaningful exit codes.
Also, some file system-specific programs do not automatically
detect the device size and require the
.I blocks
parameter to be specified.
.SH AUTHORS
David Engel (david@ods.com)
.br
Fred N. van Kempen (waltje@uwalt.nl.mugnet.org)
.br
Ron Sommeling (sommel@sci.kun.nl)
.br
The manual page was shamelessly adapted from Remy Card's version
for the ext2 file system.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR fsck (8),
.BR mkfs.minix (8),
.BR mkfs.ext (8),
.BR mkfs.ext2 (8),
.BR mkfs.xiafs (8).
Commit	Line	Data
	1	.\" -- nroff --
	2	.TH MKFS 8 "Jun 1995" "Version 1.9"
	3	.SH NAME
	4	mkfs \- build a Linux file system
	5	.SH SYNOPSIS
	6	.B mkfs
	7	[
	8	.B \-V
	9	]
	10	[
	11	.B \-t
	12	.I fstype
	13	]
	14	[
	15	.B fs-options
	16	]
	17	.I filesys
	18	[
	19	.I blocks
	20	]
	21	.SH DESCRIPTION
	22	.B mkfs
	23	is used to build a Linux file system on a device, usually
	24	a hard disk partition.
	25	.I filesys
	26	is either the device name (e.g. /dev/hda1, /dev/sdb2) or
	27	the mount point (e.g. /, /usr, /home) for the file system.
	28	.I blocks
	29	is the number of blocks to be used for the file system.
	30	.PP
	31	The exit code returned by
	32	.B mkfs
	33	is 0 on success and 1 on failure.
	34	.PP
	35	In actuality,
	36	.B mkfs
	37	is simply a front-end for the various file system builders
	38	(\fBmkfs\fR.\fIfstype\fR)
	39	available under Linux.
	40	The file system-specific builder is searched for in a number
	41	of directories like /sbin, /sbin/fs, /sbin/fs.d, /etc/fs, /etc
	42	(the precise list is defined at compile time but at least
	43	contains /sbin and /sbin/fs), and finally in the directories
	44	listed in the PATH enviroment variable.
	45	Please see the file system-specific builder manual pages for
	46	further details.
	47	.SH OPTIONS
	48	.TP
	49	.B -V
	50	Produce verbose output, including all file system-specific commands
	51	that are executed.
	52	Specifying this option more than once inhibits execution of any
	53	file system-specific commands.
	54	This is really only useful for testing.
	55	.TP
	56	.BI -t \ fstype
	57	Specifies the type of file system to be built.
	58	If not specified, the default file system type
	59	(currently ext2) is used.
	60	.TP
	61	.B fs-options
	62	File system-specific options to be passed to the real file
	63	system builder.
	64	Although not guaranteed, the following options are supported
	65	by most file system builders.
	66	.TP
	67	.B -c
	68	Check the device for bad blocks before building the file system.
	69	.TP
	70	.BI -l \ filename
	71	Read the bad blocks list from
	72	.I filename
	73	.TP
	74	.B -v
	75	Produce verbose output.
	76	.SH BUGS
	77	All generic options must precede and not be combined with
	78	file system-specific options.
	79	Some file system-specific programs do not support the
	80	.I -v
	81	(verbose) option, nor return meaningful exit codes.
	82	Also, some file system-specific programs do not automatically
	83	detect the device size and require the
	84	.I blocks
	85	parameter to be specified.
	86	.SH AUTHORS
	87	David Engel (david@ods.com)
	88	.br
	89	Fred N. van Kempen (waltje@uwalt.nl.mugnet.org)
	90	.br
	91	Ron Sommeling (sommel@sci.kun.nl)
	92	.br
	93	The manual page was shamelessly adapted from Remy Card's version
	94	for the ext2 file system.
	95	.SH SEE ALSO
	96	.BR fsck (8),
	97	.BR mkfs.minix (8),
	98	.BR mkfs.ext (8),
	99	.BR mkfs.ext2 (8),
	100	.BR mkfs.xiafs (8).