Re: which format label

["Harold Hartley" <haroldh@midmaine.com>]

It says on my sparc man:

By default, fdformat formats a high density diskette with a capability of
1.44 megabytes.
Use a the -d option to put MS-DOS file system on the diskette after format
is done. Otherwise the , the Sun-3/80 and Desktop SPARC systems version of
fdformat writes a SunOS label on the diskette in logical block 0 after it
has been formatted. The label is required on Sun-3/80 and desktop SPARC
systems if you intend to put a unix file system on the Floppy diskette.

To format diskettes for under MS-DOS, use the MS-DOS FORMAT command in a dos
window.

FORMAT:

     -b  Put a MS-DOS label on the disk after formatting it, This option is
meaningful when -d is also set.

     -d  Install a MS-DOS file system and boot sector on the disk after
formatting. This is equivalent to the MS-DOS FORMAT command.

     -e  Eject the disk when done.

     -f  force. Do not ask for confirmation before starting format.

     -l  format a low density (720) diskette.

     -v  Verify the floppy diskette after formatting.

NOTES:
     A diskette formatted using the -d option won't have the necessary
system files, and is therefore not bootable. Trying to boot from it on a PC
will result in the following message:

                  Non-System disk or disk error
                  Replace and strike any key when ready

this is why I ask the question, I just want to know how to approach this so
I have no problems....

Harold

----- Original Message -----
From: Edmund GRIMLEY EVANS <edmundo@rano.demon.co.uk>
To: Jeffrey Ebert <ebert@sonicsinc.com>
Cc: Harold Hartley <haroldh@midmaine.com>; <debian-sparc@lists.debian.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 1999 4:17 AM
Subject: Re: which format label


> Jeffrey Ebert wrote:
>
> > Harold Hartley wrote:
> > >
> > > I sent a message ealier and felt I didn't explain myself enough...
> > >
> > > I have fdformat some floppies and put the files for boot floppies on
them..
> > > they also have a SunOS label to them....
> > > As I read my man on my sparc 1+ about fdformat, I find it telling me
about
> > > fdformat -d for a MS-dos label...
> > >
> > > should I have my floppies with a MS-dos label for my bootfloppy to
install
> > > linux on a unix OS thats on there now...
> > >
> > > Harold
> >
> > I don't think it matters since you are going to use rawrite or dd to put
> > the boot floppy images onto the floppy. I think the only reason for
> > formatting them before hand is to look for bad sectors. If you have any
> > bad sectors, then you can't use the disk. There is no way to mark the
> > bad sectors and avoid them when you are dd'ing a complete disk image.
>
> You can also check the low-level format, or whatever it's called, by
> formating the floppy. If you've been playing with superformat you might
> have some floppies lying around that have more than the standard number
> of sectors, which might cause problems for a different drive, or might
> not.
>
> Does Sun use the word "label" to mean both "partition table" and
> "directory structure"?
>
> Edmund
>
>
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