System Administration Guide, Volume I

Formatting PCMCIA Memory Cards Task Map

Table 14-1 Task Map: Formatting PCMCIA Memory Cards

Task 

Description 

For Instructions, Go To 

1. Load Unformatted PCMCIA Memory Card 

Insert the PCMCIA memory card into the drive and enter the volcheck command.

"How to Load a PCMCIA Memory Card"

2. Format the PCMCIA Memory Card 

Format the PCMCIA memory card for UFS.  

"How to Format a UFS PCMCIA Memory Card"

 

Format the PCMCIA memory card for DOS.  

"How to Format a DOS PCMCIA Memory Card"

3. Add a UFS File System 

UFS Only. Optional. To use the PCMCIA memory card for files, add a UFS file system. To use for characters, skip this step.

"How to Place a UFS File System on a PCMCIA Memory Card"

4. Eject the PCMCIA Memory Card 

When finished formatting, always eject the PCMCIA memory card, even if you are going to use it again right away. 

"How to Eject a PCMCIA Memory Card"

Using PCMCIA Memory Cards Names

When working with PCMCIA memory cards, you can identify them by name or with a designator from Table 14-2. For brevity, task descriptions use pcmem0, but you can replace it with either the PCMCIA memory card's name or a different designator.

Table 14-2 How to Identify PCMCIA Memory Cards

PCMCIA Card 

Alternate Name 

First PCMCIA drive 

pcmem0

Second PCMCIA drive 

pcmem1

Third PCMCIA drive 

pcmem2


Note -

PCATA drives that are not named (that is, they have no "label") are assigned the default name of noname.


Hardware Considerations

A Solaris platform can format PCMCIA memory cards for use on both Solaris and DOS platforms. However, the hardware platform imposes some limitations. They are summarized in the table below.

Solaris on This Platform ... 

Can Format PCMCIA Memory Cards For ... 

Solaris on SPARC 

Solaris on SPARC (UFS) 

 

MS-DOS or NEC-DOS (PCFS) 

Solaris on x86 

Solaris on x86 (UFS) 

 

MS-DOS or NEC-DOS (PCFS) 

PCMCIA memory cards formatted for UFS are restricted to the hardware platform on which they were formatted. In other words, a UFS PCMCIA memory card formatted on a SPARC platform cannot be used for UFS on an x86 platform. Likewise, PCMCIA memory cards formatted on an x86 platform cannot be used on a SPARC platform. This is because the SPARC and x86 UFS formats are different.

A complete format for UFS file systems consists of the basic "bit" formatting plus the structure to support a UFS file system. A complete format for a DOS file system consists of the basic "bit" formatting plus the structure to support either an MS-DOS or an NEC-DOS file system. The procedures required to prepare a PCMCIA memory card for each type of file system are different. Therefore, before you format a PCMCIA memory card, consider which file system you are using. See "Formatting PCMCIA Memory Cards Task Map".

To view all the options to the fdformat command, either see fdformat(1) or enter fdformat -z. The -z option displays all the options to the command.

How to Format a UFS PCMCIA Memory Card

As mentioned in the introduction, a UFS PCMCIA memory card formatted on a SPARC platform can be used only on another SPARC platform, and a UFS PCMCIA memory card formatted on an x86 platform can be used only on an x86 platform running the Solaris release.


Caution - Caution -

Formatting a PCMCIA memory card erases any pre-existing content.


  1. Quit File Manager.

    File Manager automatically displays a formatting window when you insert an unformatted PCMCIA memory card. Unfortunately, File Manager formatting is unreliable. To avoid the window, quit File Manager. If you prefer to keep File Manager open, quit the formatting window when it appears.

  2. Make sure the PCMCIA memory card is write-enabled.

    Write-protection is controlled by a small slide switch in the end of the PCMCIA memory card.

  3. Insert the PCMCIA memory card.

    Make sure the PCMCIA memory card is completely inserted.

  4. Invoke formatting.


    $ fdformat -v -U [convenience-options]

    -v

    Verifies whether the PCMCIA memory card was formatted correctly. 

    -U

    Unmounts the PCMCIA memory card if it is mounted. 

    convenience-options

     

     

    -e

    Ejects the PCMCIA memory card when done formatting. 

     

    -f

    Forces formatting without asking for confirmation. 

     

    -b label

    Names the PCMCIA memory card. label must be eight characters or less, upper or lower case.

     

    -z

    Lists all the options to the fdformat command, but does not format the PCMCIA memory card.

    The fdformat command displays a confirmation message (unless you used the -f option), indicating the type of formatting to be performed:


    Formatting in /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0
     
    Press return to start formatting pcmem0.
  5. Select one of the options in the table below.

    To ... 

    Press ... 

    Confirm the type of formatting 

    Return (unless you used the -f option in the previous step, in which case no confirmation is necessary).

    Cancel formatting 

    Control-c. 

    As the formatting progresses, a series of dots is displayed. As the verification progresses, a series of V's appears beneath the dots. When the series stops, the formatting is complete.

    The PCMCIA memory card is now ready for raw character operations such as tar and cpio.

Examples--Formatting a UFS PCMCIA Memory Card

Following are examples of UFS formatting.


$ fdformat -v -U
Formatting in /vol/dev/aliases/unformatted
Press return to start formatting pcmem0. [ Return ]
.........................................................
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The following example performs the same job, but assigns the PCMCIA memory card the name myfiles:


$ fdformat -v -U -b myfiles
Formatting in /vol/dev/aliases/unformatted
Press return to start formatting pcmem0. [ Return ]
.........................................................
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

How to Place a UFS File System on a PCMCIA Memory Card

Even though the procedure for adding a UFS file system is the same for UFS PCMCIA memory cards formatted on x86 platforms and SPARC platforms, a UFS PCMCIA memory card formatted on a SPARC platform can only be used on another SPARC platform, and a UFS PCMCIA memory card formatted on an x86 platform can only be used on an x86 platform running Solaris.

  1. Format the PCMCIA memory card for a UFS file system.

    Use the procedure "How to Format a UFS PCMCIA Memory Card".

  2. Use the newfs(1M) command and the full pathname to the Volume Management directory to create a UFS file system on the PCMCIA memory card.


    $ /usr/sbin/newfs -v /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0
    

    -v

    Prints status messages. 

    /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0

    Indicates the location of the memory card.  

    The newfs(1M) command displays a message asking you to confirm the creation of the file system.

  3. Confirm the creation of the file system.


    newfs: construct a new file system  \
     
           /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0:(y/n)? y
    

    A status message is displayed, indicating the particulars of the file system and the PCMCIA memory card's formatting:


    mkfs -F ufs /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0 2848 8 2 8192 1024 16 \
     
        10 60 2048 t 0 -1 8 -1
     
    /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0:  2848 sectors in 128 cylinders of \
     
        2 tracks, 8 sectors
     
    1.0MB in 8 cyl groups (16 c/g, 0.12MB/g, 64 i/g)
     
    super-block backups (for fsck -F ufs -o b=#) at:
     
        32, 304, 544, 816, 1056, 1328, 1568, 1840

    The PCMCIA memory card is now ready to be used on a SPARC platform. However, before Volume Management recognizes the memory card, you must use the volrmmount(1) command as described in the following step.

  4. Use the volrmmount command with the -i option to notify Volume Management that the memory card is inserted.


    $ volrmmount -i pcmem0
    

    The PCMCIA memory card should now be mounted under /pcmem/pcmem0.

  5. Verify the UFS file system is on the PCMCIA card by using the ls command on the /pcmem directory.

    If the pcmem0 subdirectory appears, the PCMCIA memory card has a UFS file system and has been mounted properly.


    $ ls /pcmem
    pcmem0

Example--Placing a UFS File System on a PCMCIA Memory Card


$ volcheck -v
media was found
$ /usr/sbin/newfs -v /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0
newfs: construct a new file system  \
 
       /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0:(y/n)? y
mkfs -F ufs /vol/dev/aliases/pcmem0 ...
 
$ volrmmount -i pcmem0
 
media was found

How to Format a DOS PCMCIA Memory Card

You can format a DOS PCMCIA memory card on a SPARC or x86 Solaris platform. The steps are similar, except that instead of a SunOS file system being placed on the PCMCIA memory card, a DOS file system, either MS-DOS or NEC-DOS, is put on the file system.


Caution - Caution -

Formatting a PCMCIA memory card erases any pre-existing content.


  1. Quit File Manager.

    File Manager automatically displays a formatting window when you insert an unformatted PCMCIA memory card. Unfortunately, File Manager formatting is unreliable. To avoid the window, quit File Manager. If you prefer to keep File Manager open, quit the formatting window when it appears.

  2. Make sure the PCMCIA memory card is not write-protected.

    Write-protection is controlled by a small slide switch in the end of the PCMCIA memory card.

  3. Insert the PCMCIA memory card.

    Make sure the PCMCIA memory card is completely inserted. It must drop down into the drive.

  4. Invoke formatting.


    $ fdformat -v -U [density-options convenience-options]

    -v

    Verifies whether the PCMCIA memory card was formatted correctly. 

    -U

    Unmounts the PCMCIA memory card if it is mounted. 

    density-options

    If the drive density is 1.44 Mbytes, density-options are:

     

    -d

    Formats for MS-DOS.  

     

    -t nec -M

    Formats at 1.2 Mbytes for NEC-DOS. 

     

     

    A complete list of density-options appears in fdformat(1).

    convenience-options

     

     

    -e

    Ejects the PCMCIA memory card when done formatting. 

     

    -f

    Does not ask for confirmation before formatting. 

     

    -b label

    Name for the PCMCIA memory card. Label must be eight characters or less, upper or lower case.

     

    -z

    Lists all the options to the fdformat command, but does not format the PCMCIA memory card.


    Note -

    If you try to format a 720 Kbyte (DD) diskette for 1.44 Mbytes, fdformat will not stop you unless you include the -v option. With the -v option, fdformat will format the diskette, but the verification will catch the error and notify you with the following message: fdformat: check diskette density, I/O error


    The fdformat command displays a confirmation message, indicating the type of formatting to be performed:


    Formatting 1.44 M in /vol/dev/rdiskette0/unformatted
     
    Press return to start formatting floppy.
  5. Select one of the options in the table below.

    To ... 

    Press ... 

    Confirm the type of formatting 

    Return (unless you used the -f option in the previous step, in which case no confirmation is necessary)

    Cancel formatting 

    Control-c 

    As the formatting progresses, a series of dots is displayed. As the verification progresses, a series of V's appears beneath the dots. When the series stops, the formatting is complete and the PCMCIA memory card is ready for use on a DOS system.

  6. Use the volrmmount command with the -i option to notify Volume Management that the memory card is inserted.


    $ volrmmount -i pcmem0
    

    Volume Management mounts the PCMCIA memory card under /pcmem/pcmem0.