---
name: "ufiformat"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "ufiformat"
version: "0.9.9-1.2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ufiformat"
---

# ufiformat(8)

## NAME

```
ufiformat - Format a USB floppy disk.
```

## SYNOPSIS

**ufiformat** \[ **-hiqvV** \] \[ **-f**\|**--format** \[*size*\]\] \[ *devicepath* \]

## OPTIONS

- **-f**, **--format** \[*size*\]

  Specify format capacity SIZE in KB. Without **-f** option, the format of the current media will be used.

- **-V**, **--verify**

  Verify the medium after formatting. Only meaningful without **-i** option.

- **-F**, **--force**

  Do not perform any safety checks.

- **-i**, **--inquire**

  Show device information, instead of performing format. Without *devicepath* argument, list all USB floppy disk devices attached to the system.

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Be verbose.

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Suppress minor diagnostics.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Show help message.

## DESCRIPTION

**ufiformat** is a raw level formatting disk utility for USB floppy devices.

Raw level format is to write gap,index,sectors to the unformatted disk using special commands specific to the disk controller, to make the plain magneto-sensitive film into sector-addressable medium. Note that raw level format is **NOT** about creating filesystems ([*fs*(5)](/fs/5.md)) on the disk.

After mid-1990's, floppy disks are sold generally pre-formatted in MS-DOS 2HD format: 80 cylinder, 2 heads, 18 sectors/track, 512 bytes/sector; it is seldom in need for raw formatting. Nevertheless raw formatting could cure some disk and drive mismatchings.

*WARNING:* You will **NOT** raw format an LS-120 disks or (removable) hard disks; they are precision formatted in factory and cannot be raw reformatted.

**ufiformat** supports only the following format capacities:

   1440/1232/1200 (for 2HD disk)\
    720/640        (for 2DD disk)

The device should support the capacities also, otherwise **ufiformat** shows an error message.

The above format capacities are predefined in the program, but each USB floppy device also has a limited set of formats (defined internally) that it can format media to.  The allowed format capacities are obtained by querying (**-i**) the device, but this only returns the total format capacity and not CHS (cylinder, heads and sectors), hence a mapping is required in the program.

## EXAMPLES

- Inquiry the device for available format:

  ```
  # modprobe sg
  # ufiformat -i /dev/sda
  vendor:  Y-E DATA
  product: USB-FDU
  write protect: off
  media type: 2HD
  status      block size   kb
  formatted    2880  512 1440
  formattable  2880  512 1440
  formattable  1232 1024 1232
  formattable  2400  512 1200
  ```

- Format the floppy disk in 1.44MB, and create a FAT filesystem:

  ```
  # ufiformat -f 1440 /dev/sda
  # mkdosfs -I /dev/sda
  ```

## PREREQUISTES

**ufiformat** needs **/dev/sg**\* SCSI pass-thru device to operate. If the device does not exist, add the driver by invoking **modprobe sg**.

You often need to be root to do anything with **/dev/sd**\*.

## SEE ALSO

[*fdformat*(8)](/fdformat/8.md), *floppy*(8), [*sg*(4)](/sg/4.md)

"Universal Serial Bus Mass Storage Class - UFI Command Specification" Revision 1.0 December 14 1998\
 http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass\_docs/usbmass-ufi10.pdf