---
name: "mkdiskimage"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "syslinux-utils"
version: "3:6.04~git20190206.bf6db5b4+dfsg1-3.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mkdiskimage"
---

# mkdiskimage(1)

Create a blank MS-DOS formatted hard disk image

## NAME

**mkdiskimage** - Create a blank MS-DOS formatted hard disk image

## SYNOPSIS

**mkdiskimage** \[-doFMz4\] \[-i id\] file cyl head sect

## DESCRIPTION

This is a convenient tool to generate a hard disk image, pre-formatted according to the MS-DOS specification, and having stated properties.

A disk image named *file* will be created, large enough to have *cyl* cylinders, *head* heads, and *sect* sectors. Using **-M**, the value of *cyl* will instead be interpreted as size in MBytes.

Additional settings include ZIP type disks, FAT32 formatting, and the inclusion of an emulation header.

## OPTIONS

- **-4**

  Use the fourth partition table entry. This is the standard for ZIP-disks.

- **-F**

  Format the partition using a FAT32 file system.

- **-M**

  The argument *cyl* is given in Megabytes. Recalculate this to get the count in cylinders.

- **-d**

  Add a DOSEMU header.

- **-i** *id*

  Specify the MBR identity field as *id*.

- **-o**

  Print to stdout the file system offset.

- **-z**

  Use a ZIP-disk geometry. This needs *heads*=64 and *sect*=32.

## SEE ALSO

[*syslinux*(1)](/syslinux/1.md)

## HOMEPAGE

More information about the Syslinux project can be found on the homepage at \<*http://www.syslinux.org/*\>.

## AUTHOR

mkdiskimage was written by H. Peter Anvin \<*hpa@zytor.com*\>.

This manual page was written by Mats Erik Andersson \<*debian@gisladisker.se*\>.