BADBLOCKS(8)                                         BADBLOCKS(8)

NAME
       badblocks - search a device for bad blocks

SYNOPSIS
       badblocks [ -b block-size ] [ -o output_file ] [ -s ] [ -v
       ] [ -w ] device blocks-count [ start-block ]

DESCRIPTION
       badblocks is used to search for bad  blocks  on  a  device
       (usually a disk partition).
       device  is  the  special  file corresponding to the device
       (e.g /dev/hdXX).
       blocks-count is the number of blocks on the device.

OPTIONS
       -b block-size
              Specify the size of blocks in bytes.

       -o output_file
              Write the list of bad blocks to the specified file.
              Without this option, badblocks displays the list on
              its standard output.  The format of  this  file  is
              suitable  for  use by the -l option in e2fsck(8) or
              mke2fs(8).

       -s     Show the progress of the scan by  writing  out  the
              block numbers as they are checked.

       -v     Verbose mode.

       -w     Use  write-mode  test.  With this option, badblocks
              scans for  bad  blocks  by  writing  some  patterns
              (0xaa,  0x55,  0xff,  0x00)  on  every block of the
              device, reading every block and comparing the  con-
              tents.

WARNING
       Never  use  the  `-w'  option  on  an device containing an
       existing file system.  This option erases data!

AUTHOR
       badblocks was written by Remy Card <card@masi.ibp.fr>, the
       developer and maintainer of the ext2 fs.

BUGS
       I had no chance to make real tests of this program since I
       use IDE drives, which remap bad blocks. I only  made  some
       tests on floppies.

AVAILABILITY
       badblocks  is  part of the e2fsprogs package and is avail-
       able   for   anonymous   ftp   from   tsx-11.mit.edu    in
       /pub/linux/packages/ext2fs.

SEE ALSO
       e2fsck(8), mke2fs(8)

E2fsprogs version 1.14     January 1999                         1