rxformat(8v)rxformat(8v)Namerxformat - format floppy disks
Syntax
/etc/rxformat [ -d ] special
Description
The program formats a diskette in the specified drive associated with
the special device special. (The special is normally /dev/rrx0, for
drive 0, or /dev/rrx1, for drive 1.) By default, the diskette is for‐
matted single density; a flag can be supplied to force double density
formatting. Single density is compatible with the IBM 3740 standard
(128 bytes/sector). In double density, each sector contains 256 bytes
of data.
Before formatting a diskette prompts for verification (this allows a
user to cleanly abort the operation; note that formatting a diskette
will destroy any existing data). Formatting is done by the hardware.
All sectors are zero-filled.
Restrictions
A floppy may not be formatted if the header information on sector 1,
track 0 has been damaged. Hence, it is not possible to format a com‐
pletely degaussed disk. (This is actually a problem in the hardware.)
Diagnostics
No such device
The drive is not ready, usually because no disk is in the drive or the
drive door is open.
Other error messages are self-explanatory.
FilesSee Alsorx(4)
VAX rxformat(8v)