System Administration Guide: Basic Administration

SPARC: How to Create Disk Slices and Label a Disk

  1. Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.

  2. Invoke the format utility.


    # format
    

    A list of available disks is displayed. For more information, see format(1M).

  3. Type the number of the disk that you want to repartition from the list displayed on your screen.


    Specify disk (enter its number): disk-number
    

    disk-number is the number of the disk that you want to repartition.

  4. Select the partition menu.


    format> partition
    
  5. Display the current partition (slice) table.


    partition> print
    
  6. Start the modification process.


    partition> modify
    
  7. Set the disk to all free hog.


    Choose base (enter number) [0]? 1
    

    For more information about the free hog slice, see Using the Free Hog Slice.

  8. Create a new partition table by answering y when prompted to continue.


    Do you wish to continue creating a new partition table based on 
    above table[yes]? y
    
  9. Identify the free hog partition (slice) and the sizes of the slices when prompted.

    When adding a system disk, you must set up slices for:

    • root (slice 0) and swap (slice 1)

    • /usr (slice 6)

    After you identify the slices, the new partition table is displayed.

    For an example of creating disk slices, see SPARC: Example—Creating Disk Slices and Labeling a System Disk.

  10. Make the displayed partition table the current partition table by answering y when asked.


    Okay to make this the current partition table[yes]? y
    

    If you do not want the current partition table and you want to change it, answer no and go to Step 6.

  11. Name the partition table.


    Enter table name (remember quotes): "partition-name"
    

    partition-name is the name for the new partition table.

  12. Label the disk with the new partition table after you have finished allocating slices on the new disk.


    Ready to label disk, continue? yes
    
  13. Quit the partition menu.


    partition> q
    
  14. Verify the disk label.


    format> verify
    
  15. Exit the format menu.


    format> q
    

SPARC: Example—Creating Disk Slices and Labeling a System Disk

The following example shows the format utility being used to divide a 1-Gbyte disk into three slices: one slice for the root (/) file system, one slice for the swap area, and one slice for the /usr file system.


# format
Searching for disks...done
AVAILABLE DISK SELECTIONS:
   0. c0t1d0 <SUN1.05 cyl 2036 alt 2 hd 14 sec 72>
      /iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/espdma@f,400000/esp@f,800000/sd@1,0
   1. c0t3d0 <SUN1.05 cyl 2036 alt 2 hd 14 sec 72>
      /iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/espdma@f,400000/esp@f,800000/sd@3,0
Specify disk (enter its number): 0
selecting c0t1d0
[disk formatted]
format> partition
partition> print
partition> modify
Select partitioning base:
	0. Current partition table (original)
	1. All Free Hog
Choose base (enter number) [0]? 1
 
Part      Tag    Flag     Cylinders        Size            Blocks
  0       root    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  1       swap    wu       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  2     backup    wu       0 - 2035     1002.09MB    (2036/0/0) 2052288
  3 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  4 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  5 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  6        usr    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  7 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
Do you wish to continue creating a new partition
table based on above table[yes]? yes
Free Hog partition[6]? 6
Enter size of partition `0' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb]: 200mb
Enter size of partition `1' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb]: 200mb
Enter size of partition `3' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb]:
Enter size of partition `4' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb]:
Enter size of partition `6' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb]:
Enter size of partition `7' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb]:
 
 Part      Tag    Flag     Cylinders        Size            Blocks
  0       root    wm       0 -  406      200.32MB    (407/0/0)   410256
  1       swap    wu     407 -  813      200.32MB    (407/0/0)   410256
  2     backup    wu       0 - 2035     1002.09MB    (2036/0/0) 2052288
  3 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  4 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  5 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  6        usr    wm     814 - 2035      601.45MB    (1222/0/0) 1231776
  7 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
 
Okay to make this the current partition table[yes]? yes
Enter table name (remember quotes): "disk0"
Ready to label disk, continue? yes
partition> quit
format> verify
format> quit

SPARC: Example—Creating Disk Slices and Labeling a Secondary Disk

The following example shows the format utility being used to divide a 1-Gbyte disk into one slice for the /export/home file system.


# format
Searching for disks...done
AVAILABLE DISK SELECTIONS:
   0. c0t1d0 <SUN1.05 cyl 2036 alt 2 hd 14 sec 72>
      /iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/espdma@f,400000/esp@f,800000/sd@1,0
   1. c0t3d0 <SUN1.05 cyl 2036 alt 2 hd 14 sec 72>
      /iommu@f,e0000000/sbus@f,e0001000/espdma@f,400000/esp@f,800000/sd@3,0
Specify disk (enter its number): 0
selecting c0t1d0
[disk formatted]
format> partition
partition> print
partition> modify
Select partitioning base:
	0. Current partition table (original)
	1. All Free Hog
Choose base (enter number) [0]? 1
 
Part      Tag    Flag     Cylinders        Size            Blocks
  0       root    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  1       swap    wu       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  2     backup    wu       0 - 2035     1002.09MB    (2036/0/0) 2052288
  3 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  4 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  5 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  6        usr    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  7 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
Do you wish to continue creating a new partition
table based on above table[yes]? y
Free Hog partition[6]? 7
Enter size of partition '0' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb, 0.00gb]: 
Enter size of partition '1' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb, 0.00gb]: 
Enter size of partition '3' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb, 0.00gb]: 
Enter size of partition '4' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb, 0.00gb]: 
Enter size of partition '5' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb, 0.00gb]: 
Enter size of partition '6' [0b, 0c, 0.00mb, 0.00gb]:
 Part      Tag    Flag     Cylinders        Size            Blocks
  0       root    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  1       swap    wu       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  2     backup    wu       0 - 2035     1002.09MB    (2036/0/0) 2052288
  3 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  4 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  5 unassigned    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  6        usr    wm       0               0         (0/0/0)          0
  7 unassigned    wm       0 - 2035     1002.09MB    (2036/0/0) 2052288 
Okay to make this the current partition table[yes]? yes
Enter table name (remember quotes): "home"
Ready to label disk, continue? y
partition> q
format> verify
format> q
# 

Where to Go From Here

After you create disk slices and label the disk, you can create file systems on the disk. Go to SPARC: How to Create File Systems.