mkfs(1)

NAME

     mkfs - make a file system

SYNOPSIS

     mkfs [-Ldot] [-i inodes] [-b blocks] special prototype

OPTIONS

     -L   Make a listing on standard output

     -d   Use mod time of mkfs binary for all files

     -o   Use a drive other than 0 or 1 (safety precaution)

     -t   Do not test if file system fits on the medium

     -1   Make a version 1 file system (for backward compatibility)

     -i   Number of i-nodes (files)

     -b   Filesystem size

EXAMPLES

     mkfs /dev/fd1 proto # Make a file system on /dev/fd1

     mkfs -b 360 /dev/fd1
                         # Make empty 360 block file system

     mkfs /dev/fd1 360   # Alternate way to specify the size

DESCRIPTION

     Mkfs builds a  file  system  and  copies  specified  files  to  it.   The
     prototype  file  tells which directories and files to copy to it.  If the
     prototype file cannot be opened, and its name is just a string of digits,
     an empty file system will be made with the specified number of blocks.  A
     sample prototype file follows.  The text following  the  #  sign  in  the
     example  below  is  comment.   In  real prototype files, comments are not
     allowed.

       boot                              # boot block file (ignored)
       360 63                            # blocks and i-nodes
       d--755 1 1 # root directory
         bin d--755 2 1 # bin dir: mode (755), uid (2), gid (1)
             sh   ---755 2 1 /user/bin/shell # shell has mode rwxr-xr-x
             mv   -u-755 2 1 /user/bin/mv # u = SETUID bit
             login -ug755 2 1 /user/bin/login # SETUID and SETGID
         $                               # end of /bin
         dev d--755 2 1 # special files: tty (char), fd0 (block)
             tty  c--777 2 1 4 0         # uid=2, gid=1, major=4, minor=0
             fd0  b--644 2 1 2 0 360     # uid, gid, major, minor, blocks
         $                               # end of /dev
         user d--755 12 1 # user dir: mode (755), uid (12), gid (1)
             ast  d--755 12 1            # /user/ast
             $                           # /user/ast is empty
         $                               # end of /user
       $                                 # end of root directory

     The first entry on each line (except the first 3 and the $  lines,  which
     terminate  directories) is the name the file or directory will get on the
     new file system. Next comes its mode, with the first character being -dbc
     for regular files, directories, block special files and character special
     files, respectively.  The next two characters are  used  to  specify  the
     SETUID and SETGID bits, as shown above.  The last three characters of the
     mode are the rwx protection bits.

     Following the mode are the uid and gid.  For special files, the major and
     minor  devices are needed.  The size in blocks must also be specified for
     block special files (the MINIX block size is 1K; this can only be changed
     by changing BLOCK_SIZE and then recompiling the operating system).

     The maximum size of a file system is 1 Gb for a version  2  file  system,
     and  64  Mb  for a version 1 file system.  Alas the 8086 fsck runs out of
     memory on a V2 file system larger than 128 Mb, so for the 8086 version of
     MINIX you have to limit yourself to file systems of that size.

SEE ALSO

     mkproto(1), fsck(1), mount(1).