mformat(1)

NAME
     mformat - add an MSDOS filesystem to a low-level formatted diskette.

SYNOPSIS
     mformat [-t  tracks]  [-h  heads]  [-s  sectors]  [-l  volume-label]  [-S
           sizecode]  [-2 sectors-on-track-0] [-M software-sector-size] [-aXC]
           [-H hidden-sectors] drive:

DESCRIPTION
     Mformat adds a minimal MSDOS  filesystem  (boot  sector,  FAT,  and  root
     directory)  to  a diskette that has already been formatted by a Unix low-
     level format.

     The follow options are supported: (The S, 2, 1  and  M  options  may  not
     exist if this copy of mtools has been compiled without the USE_2M option)

     -t   The number of tracks (not cylinders).

     -h   The number of heads (sides).

     -s   The number of sectors per track. If the 2m option is  given,  number
          of  512-byte  sector  equivalents on generic tracks (i.e. not head 0
          track).  If the 2m option is not given, number of  physical  sectors
          per track (which may be bigger than 512 bytes).

     -l   An optional volume label.

     -S   The sizecode. The size of the sector is 2 ^ (sizecode + 7).

     -2   2m format. The parameter to this  option  describes  the  number  of
          sectors  on  track 0, head 0. This option is recommended for sectors
          bigger than normal.

     -1   don't use a 2m format, even if the current geometry of the disk is a
          2m geometry.

     -M   software sector size. This parameter describes the  sector  size  in
          bytes  used  by  the MSDOS filesystem. By default it is the physical
          sector size.

     -a   If this option is given, an Atari style serial number is  generated.
          Ataris store their serial number in the OEM label.

     -X   formats the disk as an Xdf disk. Xdf disk are  used  by  OS/2.  This
          format can hold 1756k, and is faster than the equivalent 2m formats.
          The disk has first to  be  low-level  formatted  using  the  xdfcopy
          utility included in the fdutils package.



     -C   creates the disk image file to install the MSDOS filesystem  on  it.
          Obviously,  this is useless on physical devices such as floppies and
          hard disk partitions.

     -H   number of hidden sectors. This parameter is  useful  for  formatting
          hard disk partition, which are not aligned on track boundaries (i.e.
          first head of first track  doesn't  belong  to  the  partition,  but
          contains  a  partition  table).  In  that  case the number of hidden
          sectors is in general the number of sectors per  cylinder.  This  is
          untested.

     -n   serial number.

     To format a diskette at a density other than the default, you must supply
     (at  least)  those  command  line  parameters that are different from the
     default.

     Mformat returns 0 on success or 1 on failure.

SEE ALSO
     mlabel(1), mtools(1).

BUGS
     Requires a low-level format utility from Unix.

     Doesn't detect (or record) bad block information.