1. Managing Removable Media (Overview)
2. Managing Removable Media (Tasks)
3. Accessing Removable Media (Tasks)
4. Writing CDs and DVDs (Tasks)
5. Managing Devices (Overview/Tasks)
6. Dynamically Configuring Devices (Tasks)
7. Using USB Devices (Overview)
9. Using InfiniBand Devices (Overview/Tasks)
11. Administering Disks (Tasks)
12. SPARC: Adding a Disk (Tasks)
13. x86: Adding a Disk (Tasks)
14. Configuring Oracle Solaris iSCSI Targets and Initiators (Tasks)
15. The format Utility (Reference)
Recommendations and Requirements for Using the format Utility
Contents of the format.dat File
Keywords in the format.dat File
Specifying an Alternate Data File for the format Utility
Rules for Input to format Commands
Specifying Numbers to format Commands
Specifying Block Numbers to format Commands
Specifying format Command Names
Specifying Disk Names to format Commands
Getting Help on the format Utility
16. Managing File Systems (Overview)
17. Creating ZFS, UFS, TMPFS, and LOFS File Systems (Tasks)
18. Mounting and Unmounting File Systems (Tasks)
19. Using The CacheFS File System (Tasks)
20. Configuring Additional Swap Space (Tasks)
21. Checking UFS File System Consistency (Tasks)
22. UFS File System (Reference)
23. Backing Up and Restoring UFS File Systems (Overview)
24. Backing Up UFS Files and File Systems (Tasks)
25. Using UFS Snapshots (Tasks)
26. Restoring UFS Files and File Systems (Tasks)
27. UFS Backup and Restore Commands (Reference)
28. Copying UFS Files and File Systems (Tasks)
The format main menu appears similar to the following:
FORMAT MENU: disk - select a disk type - select (define) a disk type partition - select (define) a partition table current - describe the current disk format - format and analyze the disk fdisk - run the fdisk program (x86 only) repair - repair a defective sector label - write label to the disk analyze - surface analysis defect - defect list management backup - search for backup labels verify - read and display labels save - save new disk/partition definitions inquiry - show vendor, product and revision volname - set 8-character volume name !<cmd> - execute <cmd>, then return quit format>
The following table describes the main menu items for the format utility.
Table 15-1 The Main Menu Item Descriptions for the format Utility
|
The partition menu appears similar to the following:
format> partition PARTITION MENU: 0 - change `0' partition 1 - change `1' partition 2 - change `2' partition 3 - change `3' partition 4 - change `4' partition 5 - change `5' partition 6 - change `6' partition 7 - change `7' partition select - select a predefined table modify - modify a predefined partition table name - name the current table print - display the current table label - write partition map and label to the disk quit partition>
The following table describes the partition menu items.
Table 15-2 Descriptions for partition Menu Items
|
The fdisk menu appears on x86 based systems only and appears similar to the following.
format> fdisk Total disk size is 14169 cylinders Cylinder size is 2510 (512 byte) blocks Cylinders Partition Status Type Start End Length % ========= ====== ============ ===== === ====== === 1 Active x86 Boot 1 9 9 0 2 Solaris2 10 14168 14159 100 SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1. Create a partition 2. Specify the active partition 3. Delete a partition 4. Change between Solaris and Solaris2 Partition IDs 5. Exit (update disk configuration and exit) 6. Cancel (exit without updating disk configuration) Enter Selection:
The following table describes the fdisk menu items.
Table 15-3 x86: Descriptions for fdisk Menu Items
|
The analyze menu appears similar to the following.
format> analyze ANALYZE MENU: read - read only test (doesn't harm SunOS) refresh - read then write (doesn't harm data) test - pattern testing (doesn't harm data) write - write then read (corrupts data) compare - write, read, compare (corrupts data) purge - write, read, write (corrupts data) verify - write entire disk, then verify (corrupts data) print - display data buffer setup - set analysis parameters config - show analysis parameters quit analyze>
The following table describes the analyze menu items.
Table 15-4 Descriptions for analyze Menu Items
|
The defect menu appears similar to the following:
format> defect DEFECT MENU: primary - extract manufacturer's defect list grown - extract manufacturer's and repaired defects lists both - extract both primary and grown defects lists print - display working list dump - dump working list to file quit defect>
The following table describes the defect menu items.
Table 15-5 The defect Menu Item Descriptions
|