# 2.11BSD#431 - /usr/man/cat8/format.0

    FORMAT(8V)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual	       FORMAT(8V)

    NAME
         format - how to format disk packs

    DESCRIPTION
         There are two ways to format disk packs.  The simplest is to
         use the format program.  The alternative is to use the DEC
         standard formatting software which operates under the DEC
         diagnostic supervisor. This manual page describes the opera-
         tion of format, then concludes with some remarks about using
         the DEC formatter.

         Format is a standalone program used to format and check
         disks prior to constructing file systems.	In addition to
         the formatting operation, format records any bad sectors
         encountered according to DEC standard 144. Formatting is
         performed one track at a time by writing the appropriate
         headers and a test pattern and then checking the sector by
         reading and verifying the pattern, using the controller's
         ECC for error detection.  A sector is marked bad if an unre-
         coverable media error is detected, or if a correctable ECC
         error too many bits in length is detected (such errors are
         indicated as ``ECC'' in the summary printed upon completing
         the format operation).  After the entire disk has been for-
         matted and checked, the total number of errors are reported,
         any bad sectors and skip sectors are marked, and a bad sec-
         tor forwarding table is written to the disk in the first
         five even numbered sectors of the last track.  It is also
         possible to reformat sections of the disk in units of
         tracks.  Format may be used on any UNIBUS or MASSBUS drive
         supported by the up and hp device drivers which uses 4-byte
         headers (everything except RP's).

         The test pattern used during the media check may be selected
         from one of: 0xf00f (RH750 worst case), 0xec6d (media worst
         case), and 0xa5a5 (alternating 1's and 0's).  Normally the
         media worst case pattern is used.

         Format also has an option to perform an extended "severe
         burn-in," which makes a number of passes using different
         patterns.	The number of passes can be selected at run time,
         up to a maximum of 48, with provision for additional passes
         or termination after the preselected number of passes.  This
         test runs for many hours, depending on the disk and proces-
         sor.

         Each time format is run to format an entire disk, a com-
         pletely new bad sector table is generated based on errors
         encountered while formatting.  The device driver, however,
         will always attempt to read any existing bad sector table
         when the device is first opened.  Thus, if a disk pack has
         never previously been formatted, or has been formatted with
         different sectoring, five error messages will be printed

    Printed 11/26/99	  May 22, 1986				1

    FORMAT(8V)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual	       FORMAT(8V)

         when the driver attempts to read the bad sector table; these
         diagnostics should be ignored.

         Formatting a 400 megabyte disk on a MASSBUS disk controller
         usually takes about 20 minutes.  Formatting on a UNIBUS disk
         controller takes significantly longer.  For every hundredth
         cylinder formatted format prints a message indicating the
         current cylinder being formatted.	(This message is just to
         reassure people that nothing is is amiss.)

         Format uses the standard notation of the standalone I/O
         library in identifying a drive to be formatted.  A drive is
         specified as zz(x,y), where zz refers to the controller type
         (either hp or up), x is the unit number of the drive; 8
         times the UNIBUS or MASSBUS adaptor number plus the MASSBUS
         drive number or UNIBUS drive unit number; and y is the file
         system partition on drive x (this should always be 0). For
         example, ``hp(1,0)'' indicates that drive 1 on MASSBUS adap-
         tor 0 should be formatted; while ``up(10,0)'' indicates that
         UNIBUS drive 2 on UNIBUS adaptor 1 should be formatted.

         Before each formatting attempt, format prompts the user in
         case debugging should be enabled in the appropriate device
         driver.  A carriage return disables debugging information.

         Format should be used prior to building file systems (with
         newfs(8)) to insure that all sectors with uncorrectable
         media errors are remapped.  If a drive develops uncorrect-
         able defects after formatting, either bad144(8) or bad-
         sect(8) should be able to avoid the bad sectors.

    EXAMPLE
         A sample run of format is shown below. In this example
         (using a VAX-11/780), format is loaded from the console
         floppy; on an 11/750 format will be loaded from the root
         file system with boot(8) following a "B/3" command.  Bold-
         face means user input.  As usual, ``#'' and ``@'' may be
         used to edit input.

    	  >>>L FORMAT
    		    LOAD DONE, 00004400 BYTES LOADED
    	  >>>S 2
    	  Disk format/check utility

    	  Enable debugging (0=none, 1=bse, 2=ecc, 3=bse+ecc)? 0
    	  Device to format? hp(8,0)
    	  (error messages may occur as old bad sector table is read)
    	  Formatting drive hp0 on adaptor 1: verify (yes/no)? yes
    	  Device data: #cylinders=842, #tracks=20, #sectors=48
    	  Starting cylinder (0):
    	  Starting track (0):
    	  Ending cylinder (841):

    Printed 11/26/99	  May 22, 1986				2

    FORMAT(8V)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual	       FORMAT(8V)

    	  Ending track (19):
    	  Available test patterns are:
    		    1 - (f00f) RH750 worst case
    		    2 - (ec6d) media worst case
    		    3 - (a5a5) alternating 1's and 0's
    		    4 - (ffff) Severe burnin (up to 48 passes)
    	  Pattern (one of the above, other to restart)? 2
    	  Maximum number of bit errors to allow for soft ECC (3):
    	  Start formatting...make sure the drive is online
    	   ...
    	  (soft ecc's and other errors are reported as they occur)
    	   ...
    	  (if 4 write check errors were found, the program terminates like this...)
    	   ...
    	  Errors:
    	  Bad sector: 0
    	  Write check: 4
    	  Hard ECC: 0
    	  Other hard: 0
    	  Marked bad: 0
    	  Skipped: 0
    	  Total of 4 hard errors revectored.
    	  Writing bad sector table at block 808272
    	  (808272 is the block # of the first block in the bad sector table)
    	  Done
    	  (...program restarts to allow formatting other disks)
    	  (...to abort halt machine with ^P)

    DIAGNOSTICS
         The diagnostics are intended to be self explanatory.

    USING DEC SOFTWARE TO FORMAT
         Warning:  These instructions are for people with 11/780
         CPU's. The steps needed for 11/750 or 11/730 cpu's are simi-
         lar, but not covered in detail here.

         The formatting procedures are different for each type of
         disk.  Listed here are the formatting procedures for RK07's,
         RP0X, and RM0X disks.

         You should shut down UNIX and halt the machine to do any
         disk formatting.  Make certain you put in the pack you want
         formatted.  It is also a good idea to spin down or write
         protect the disks you don't want to format, just in case.

         Formatting an RK07. Load the console floppy labeled, "RX11
         VAX DSK LD DEV #1" in the console disk drive, and type the
         following commands:
    	  >>>BOOT
    	  DIAGNOSTIC SUPERVISOR.  ZZ-ESSAA-X5.0-119  23-JAN-1980 12:44:40.03
    	  DS>ATTACH DW780 SBI DW0 3 5

    Printed 11/26/99	  May 22, 1986				3

    FORMAT(8V)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual	       FORMAT(8V)

    	  DS>ATTACH RK611 DMA
    	  DS>ATTACH RK07 DW0 DMA0
    	  DS>SELECT DMA0
    	  DS>LOAD EVRAC
    	  DS>START/SEC:PACKINIT

         Formatting an RP0X. Follow the above procedures except that
         the ATTACH and SELECT lines should read:
    	  DS>ATTACH RH780 SBI RH0 8 5
    	  DS>ATTACH RP0X RH0 DBA0(RP0X is, e.g. RP06)
    	  DS>SELECT DBA0

         This is for drive 0 on mba0; use 9 instead of 8 for mba1,
         etc.

         Formatting an RM0X. Follow the above procedures except that
         the ATTACH and SELECT lines should read:
    	  DS>ATTACH RH780 SBI RH0 8 5
    	  DS>ATTACH RM0X RH0 DRA0
    	  DS>SELECT DRA0

         Don't forget to put your UNIX console floppy back in the
         floppy disk drive.

    SEE ALSO
         bad144(8), badsect(8), newfs(8)

    BUGS
         An equivalent facility should be available which operates
         under a running UNIX system.

         It should be possible to reformat or verify part or all of a
         disk, then update the existing bad sector table.

    Printed 11/26/99	  May 22, 1986				4

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