MKFS(VIII) 11/1/73 MKFS(VIII)





MKFS(VIII)                   11/1/73                   MKFS(VIII)







NAME

     mkfs - construct a file system



SYNOPSIS

     /etc/mkfs special proto



DESCRIPTION

     Mkfs constructs a file system by writing on the special file

     special  according  to the directions found in the prototype

     file proto.  The prototype 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

     boot  procedures(VIII)).   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  i-

     list  size  in  blocks  (remember  there  are 16 i-nodes per

     block).  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

     characters -bcd specify regular,  block  special,  character

     special  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 foreigner read, write, execute

     permissions (see chmod (I)).



     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.



     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, mkfs 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 $.



     If the prototype file cannot be opened and its name consists

     of  a  string  of  digits,  mkfs builds a file system with a

     single empty directory on it.  The size of the  file  system

     is  the value of proto interpreted as a decimal number.  The

     i-list size is the file system size divided  by  50.   (This

     corresponds  to  an  average size of three blocks per file.)

     The boot program is left uninitialized.



     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

     file system(V), directory(V), boot procedures(VIII)



DIAGNOSTICS

     There   are   various   diagnostics   for   syntax   errors,

     inconsistent values, and sizes too small.



BUGS

     It is not possible to initialize  a  file  larger  than  64K

     bytes.

     The size of the file system is restricted to 64K blocks.

     There should be some way to specify links.
squoze.net
