


MKFS(8)							MKFS(8)


NNAAMMEE
       mkfs - build a Linux file system

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
       mmkkffss  [ --VV ] [ --tt _f_s_t_y_p_e ] [ ffss--ooppttiioonnss ] _f_i_l_e_s_y_s [ _b_l_o_c_k_s
       ]

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       mmkkffss is used to build a Linux file  system  on  a  device,
       usually	a  hard	disk  partition.   _f_i_l_e_s_y_s is either the
       device name (e.g. /dev/hda1, /dev/sdb2) or the mount point
       (e.g.  /, /usr, /home) for the file system.  _b_l_o_c_k_s is the
       number of blocks to be used for the file system.

       The exit code returned by mmkkffss is the sum of the following
       conditions:
	    0	- No errors
	    8	- Operational error
	    16	- Usage or syntax error
	    128	- Shared library error

       In  actuality,  mmkkffss is simply a front-end for the various
       file system builders (mmkkffss._f_s_t_y_p_e) available under  Linux.
       The  file system-specific builder is searched for in /bin.
       Please see the file system-specific builder  manual  pages
       for further details.

OOPPTTIIOONNSS
       --VV     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.

       --tt _f_s_t_y_p_e
	      Specifies	the type of file system to be built.  If
	      not specified, the type is deduced by searching for
	      _f_i_l_e_s_y_s  in  _/_e_t_c_/_f_s_t_a_b and using the corresponding
	      entry.  If the type can not be deduced, the default
	      file system type (currently ext2) is used.

       ffss--ooppttiioonnss
	      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.

       --cc     Check the device for bad blocks before building the
	      file system.

       --ll _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e
	      Read the bad blocks list from _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e

       --vv     Produce verbose output.



Version 1.7		  May 1993				1





MKFS(8)							MKFS(8)


BBUUGGSS
       All  generic options must precede and not be combined with
       file system-specific options.  Some  file  system-specific
       programs	do  not  support  the	_-_v  (verbose) option, nor
       return meaningful exit codes.   Also,  some  file  system-
       specific	programs  do not automatically detect the device
       size and require the _b_l_o_c_k_s parameter to be specified.

AAUUTTHHOORRSS
       David Engel (david@ods.com)
       Fred N. van Kempen (waltje@uwalt.nl.mugnet.org)
       The manual page was shamelessly adapted from  Remy  Card's
       version for the ext2 file system.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
       ffsscckk(8),	mmkkffss..mmiinniixx(8),    mmkkffss..eexxtt(8),   mmkkffss..eexxtt22(8),
       mmkkffss..xxiiaaffss(8).








































Version 1.7		  May 1993				2


