4BSD/usr/man/cat8/mkfs.8

MKFS(8)             UNIX Programmer's Manual              MKFS(8)



NAME
     mkfs - construct a file system

SYNOPSIS
     /etc/mkfs special size
     /etc/mkfs special proto

DESCRIPTION
     _M_k_f_s constructs a file system by writing on the special file
     _s_p_e_c_i_a_l. In the first form of the command a numeric size is
     given and _m_k_f_s builds a file system with a single empty
     directory on it.  The number of i-nodes is calculated as a
     function of the filesystem size.  (No boot program is ini-
     tialized in this form of _m_k_f_s.)

     N.B.: All filesystems should have a _l_o_s_t+_f_o_u_n_d directory for
     _f_s_c_k(8); this should be created for each file system by run-
     ning _m_k_l_o_s_t+_f_o_u_n_d(8) in the root directory of a newly
     created file system, after the file system is first mounted.

     In bootstrapping, the second form of _m_k_f_s is sometimes used.
     In this form, the file system is constructed according to
     the directions found in the prototype file _p_r_o_t_o. The proto-
     type file contains tokens separated by spaces or new lines.
     The first token is the name of a file to be copied onto
     block zero as the bootstrap program, see _b_p_r_o_c(8).  The
     second token is a number specifying the size of the created
     file system.  Typically it will be the number of blocks on
     the device, perhaps diminished by space for swapping.  The
     next token is the number of i-nodes in the i-list.  The next
     set of tokens comprise the specification for the root file.
     File specifications consist of tokens giving the mode, the
     user-id, the group id, and the initial contents of the file.
     The syntax of the contents field depends on the mode.

     The mode token for a file is a 6 character string.  The
     first character specifies the type of the file.  (The char-
     acters -bcd specify regular, block special, character spe-
     cial and directory files respectively.) The second character
     of the type is either u or - to specify set-user-id mode or
     not.  The third is g or - for the set-group-id mode.  The
     rest of the mode is a three digit octal number giving the
     owner, group, and other read, write, execute permissions,
     see _c_h_m_o_d(1).

     Two decimal number tokens come after the mode; they specify
     the user and group ID's of the owner of the file.

     If the file is a regular file, the next token is a pathname
     whence the contents and size are copied.





Printed 11/10/80                                                1






MKFS(8)             UNIX Programmer's Manual              MKFS(8)



     If the file is a block or character special file, two
     decimal number tokens follow which give the major and minor
     device numbers.

     If the file is a directory, _m_k_f_s makes the entries .  and ..
     and then reads a list of names and (recursively) file
     specifications for the entries in the directory.  The scan
     is terminated with the token $.

     A sample prototype specification follows:

          /usr/mdec/uboot
          4872 55
          d--777 3 1
          usr  d--777 3 1
               sh   ---755 3 1 /bin/sh
               ken  d--755 6 1
                    $
               b0   b--644 3 1 0 0
               c0   c--644 3 1 0 0
               $
          $

SEE ALSO
     filsys(5), dir(5), bproc(8), fsck(8), mklost+found(8)

BUGS
     There should be some way to specify links.

     There should be some way to specify bad blocks.

     Should make _l_o_s_t+_f_o_u_n_d automatically.























Printed 11/10/80                                                2