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4.2.2: Ftformat Options

-f, --file=FILE

Tape device to use. Default is `/dev/rawft0'.


-h, -?, --help, --usage

Print help information to STDOUT.


-V, --version

Print version information to STDOUT


-d, --debug

Unused yet.


-v, --verbose

Unused yet.


--parsable-output

Terminate each message by a newline, don't use backspace or carriage return characters. Used by the GUI interface ftape-tool (see Ftape-tool).


-L, --label=LABEL

Label to write to the header segment. The label will be truncated if it is longer than 44 characters.


--omit-erase

Don't try to erase the cartridge using physical forward and physical reverse. This affects only already formatted cartridges. Some tape drives doesn't implement erasing of the old format properly in which case this option might be used and decreases the amount of time used for formatting the cartridge considerably.


--discard-header

Don't try to read the old header segment and discard statistics and time stamps contained therein. This affects only already formatted cartridges. This option might be useful when trying to reformat a damaged cartridge. Otherwise it shouldn't be used.


--no-reference-bursts

Don't write the reference bursts, only format and verify. Only useful with preformatted cartridges. The use of this option is deprecated.


--verify-only

Only update the bad sector map, don't re-format. Only possible with already formatted cartridges. The use of this option is deprecated.


-M --dma-memory=SIZE

Amount of dma memory to mmap. Measured in kb.Normally not needed. This affects only the version 3.x of the ftape driver. The formatting interface has changed from version 3.x to version 4.x See Start formatting a tape track (info file ftape). See Start formatting a tape track (info file ftape-4).


-m --mode=MODE

MODE has to be one out of `auto', `force' or `probe'. `auto' is the default. `force' will bypass almost all consistency checks, assuming that you really know what you are doing, `probe' performs the auto-detection only and prints a command line to stdout that is suitable to be used with the `force' mode.


-p --format-parameters=PARMS

This option allows to overwrite the auto-detected values, or help when the format of the inserted cartridge cannot be auto-detected (e.g. 205ft QIC-80 cartridges versus 425ft QIC-80 cartridges). With --mode=force all of the parameters below must be specified. without --mode=force the parameters given in PARMS are used as supplements to the auto-detected values. In this case some of the values can be omitted. PARMS is a comma separated list of the following parameters:

qic-standard=QIC_STD
format-code=FORMAT_CODE
floppy-head-max=MAX_FLOPPY_HEAD
floppy-track-max=MAX_FLOPPY_TRACK
segments-per-track=SEGMENTS_PER_TRACK
tracks-per-tape=TRACKS_PER_TAPE
gap3=GAP3

The meaning of the parameters is:

QIC_STD

One out of

QIC-40, QIC-80, QIC-80/WIDE, TR-1, QIC-3010, QIC-3010/WIDE, QIC-3020, QIC-3020/WIDE, TR-3.

You may as well give a number in hexadecimal or decimal representation. The list of known keywords describing the QIC standard is redundant: TR-3 cartridges conform to QIC-3020/WIDE. TR-3/Extra cartridges are extra length TR-3. TR-1 cartridges conform to QIC-80/WIDE.


FORMAT_CODE

A decimal number to be stored in the appropriate field in the header segments. Normally not needed.


MAX_FLOPPY_HEAD

A decimal number.


MAX_FLOPPY_TRACK

A decimal number.


SEGMENTS_PER_TRACK

The number of tape segments per track.


TRACKS_PER_TAPE

The number of tape tracks per cartridge


GAP3

A decimal number

Alternatively, you may use the following short-cuts for various fixed length formats. Note that each shortcut is a place holder for a full set of `low level' options, i.e. use them like --format-parameters qic80-307ft:

qic40-205ft

format a 205ft cartridge to QIC-40 format, 40MB


qic40-307ft likewise for 307ft cartridge, 60MB
qic40-1100ft likewise for 1100ft cartrigde 210MB
qic80-205ft format a 205ft cartridge to QIC-80 format, 80MB
qic80-307ft likewise for 307ft cartridge, 120MB
qic80-425ft likewise for 425ft cartridge, 170MB
qic80-1100ft likewise for 1100ft cartrige, 400MB

Please refer to the development standards

        QIC-40, QIC-80, QIC-3010 and QIC-3020

to be found at the QIC organisation home page for the correct settings of QIC_STD, FORMAT_CODE, MAX_FLOPPY_HEAD, MAX_FLOPPY_TRACK, SEGMENTS_PER_TRACK, TRACKS_PER_TAPE and GAP3.

Normally, you only want to use one of the short cuts, or give the desired tape format, i.e. the QIC_STD, or override the number of segments per track (use the latter with extreme prejudice).


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