ftl_format

FTL_FORMAT(1)                                                    FTL_FORMAT(1)



NAME
       ftl_format - Flash Translation Layer formatting utility

SYNOPSIS
       ftl_format [-q] [-i] [-s spare] [-r reserve] [-b bootsize] device

DESCRIPTION
       Ftl_format  creates a Flash Translation Layer partition on a flash mem-
       ory device.  It needs to access the flash  partition's  raw  character-
       mode device (such as /dev/mem0c0c).

       This  is actually a low-level format operation, required before access-
       ing a memory device via the FTL block device driver.  Once a  partition
       is  prepared with ftl_format, a filesystem should be created in a sepa-
       rate step.  Filesystem commands should access the device  via  the  FTL
       device file (such as /dev/ftl0).

       Optionally,  ftl_format  can  reserve  a region at the beginning of the
       flash card address space for a boot image (or any other purpose).   The
       boot  area  is  not part of the FTL partition, and can only be accessed
       via the raw memory device.

       On Intel Series 100 flash cards, the first flash block is used to store
       the  card's  configuration  information structures.  If no boot area is
       specified on the command line, ftl_format will automatically create one
       to span the first block.

OPTIONS
       -q     Quiet mode: don't print formatting statistics.

       -i     Interactive: confirm before beginning the format.

       -s spare
              Reserve  the  specified  number  of erase blocks as spares.  The
              default is 1.  A read-write  partition  requires  at  least  one
              spare block.

       -r reserve
              Reserve  the  specified  percentage  of  the  total space on the
              device to improve write efficiency.  The default is 5%.  Reserv-
              ing less space increases the frequency of flash erase operations
              to reclaim free blocks.

       -b bootsize
              Requests that a portion of the flash card be reserved for a boot
              image.   The  size  will  be rounded up to an integral number of
              erase blocks.

AUTHOR
       David Hinds - dahinds@users.sourceforge.net

SEE ALSO
       ftl_cs(4), ftl_check(8).



pcmcia-cs                     2000/06/12 21:24:48                FTL_FORMAT(1)